Legal Definition and Related Resources of Cheat

defraud ; deceive; obtain property by fraud or trick.

Deceitful practices in defrauding or endeavoring to defraud another of his known right, by some willful device, contrary to the plain rules of common honesty. Hawk. P. C. bk. 2, c. 23, i 1. “The fraudulent obtaining the property of another by any deceitful and illegal practice or token (short of felony) which affects or may affect the public.” It did not include mere false pretenses. East, 818. In order to constitute a cheat or indictable fraud, there must be a use of false tokens, false weights, or such other devices, or a prejudice received, and such injury must affect the public welfare, or have a tendency so to do. 2 East, P. C. 817; 1 Gabbett, Crim. Law, 199; 1 Deac. Crim. Law, 225.

verb

• act dishonestly
• be cunning
• be dishonest
• befool
• beguile
• betray
• break faith
• commit breach of trust
• cozen
• deceive
• defalcate
• defraud
• deprive of dishonestly
• dissemble
• dupe
• embezzle
• fraudare
• ignore ethics
• inveigle
• lack honesty
• obtain money by false pretenses
• peculate
• pettifog
• play false
• practice chicanery
• practice fraud
• prevaricate
• purloin
• represent falsely
• sharp
• swindle
• Associated Concepts: cheating by false weights and measures
• false pretenses
• larceny

Browse or run a search for Cheat in the American Encyclopedia of Law, the Asian Encyclopedia of Law, the European Encyclopedia of Law, the UK Encyclopedia of Law or the Latin American and Spanish Encyclopedia of Law.

Cheat in Historical Law

You might be interested in the historical meaning of this term. Browse or search for Cheat in Historical Law in the Encyclopedia of Law.

Search for legal acronyms and/or abbreviations containing Cheat in the Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms Dictionary.

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Mentioned in these terms

Cheaters Or Escheaters, Deceit, Overreach, Swindle.

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This definition of Cheat is based on the The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary . This entry needs to be proofread.

Vocabularies (Semantic Web Information)

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Cheat in the Dictionary of Law consisting of Judicial Definitions and Explanations of Words, Phrases and Maxims

French escheat: from fraud used by lords of manors to procure escheats. Cheats which are punishable at common law may be described to be deceitful practices in defrauding or endeavoring to defraud another of his known rights by means of some artful devices, contrary to the plain rules of common honesty. Hawkins, Pl. Cr., b. 1, c. 23, § 1. A cheat or fraud, indictable at common law, must be such as would affect the public, such as common prudence cannot guard against; as, using false weights and measures, or false tokens, or where there is a conspiracy to cheat. Technically, the offence is “false pretenses”. spoken of one in relation to his vocation, the word is defamatory and actionable.

Note: This legal definition of Cheat in the Dictionary of Law (English and American Jurisprudence) is from 1893.

Cheat in Law Enforcement

Main Entry: Law Enforcement in the Legal Dictionary. This section provides, in the context of Law Enforcement, a partial definition of cheat.

Grammar

This term is a verb.

Etimology of Cheat

(You may find cheat at the world legal encyclopedia and the etimology of more terms).

mid-15c., “to escheat,” a shortening of Old French escheat, legal term for revision of property to the state when the owner dies without heirs, literally “that which falls to one,” past participle of escheoir “happen, befall, occur, take place; fall due; lapse (legally),” from Late Latin *excadere “fall away, fall out,” from Latin ex- “out” (see ex-) + cadere “to fall” (see case (n.1)). Also compare escheat. The royal officers evidently had a low reputation. Meaning evolved through “confiscate” (mid-15c.) to “deprive unfairly” (1580s). To cheat on (someone) “be sexually unfaithful” first recorded 1934. Related: Cheated; cheating.

Resources

See Also

• Law Enforcement Officer
• Police Officer
• Law Enforcement Agency

Further Reading

• cheat in A Dictionary of Law Enforcement (Oxford University Press)
• cheat in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement
• A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis

English Legal System: Cheat

In the context of the English law, A Dictionary of Law provides the following legal concept of Cheat :

A common-law offence, now restricted to defrauding the public revenue (e.g. the tax authorities). No act of deceit is required. It is enough if one dishonestly fails to make VAT or other tax returns and to pay the tax due.

Cheat