"grift" meaning in English

See grift in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ɡɹɪft/ Audio: En-au-grift.ogg [Australia] Forms: grifts [plural]
Rhymes: -ɪft Etymology: American criminal underworld slang, 1906 (noun), 1915 (verb), alteration of graft (“corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation”), alteration perhaps influenced by similar sounding words, e.g. drift, etc., probably ultimately from Middle Dutch graft (“digging, ditch, canal, trench”) (modern Dutch gracht), related to Dutch graven (“to dig”), English grave (“to dig”). Etymology templates: {{m|en|graft|t=corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation}} graft (“corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation”), {{m|en|drift}} drift, {{der|en|dum|graft|t=digging, ditch, canal, trench}} Middle Dutch graft (“digging, ditch, canal, trench”), {{cog|nl|gracht}} Dutch gracht, {{cog|nl|graven|t=to dig}} Dutch graven (“to dig”), {{cog|en|grave|t=to dig}} English grave (“to dig”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} grift (plural grifts)
  1. (US, slang) A confidence game or swindle. Tags: US, slang Synonyms: deception Derived forms: grifter
    Sense id: en-grift-en-noun-Ueu1g2lu Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 34 34 19 13

Verb

IPA: /ɡɹɪft/ Audio: En-au-grift.ogg [Australia] Forms: grifts [present, singular, third-person], grifting [participle, present], grifted [participle, past], grifted [past]
Rhymes: -ɪft Etymology: American criminal underworld slang, 1906 (noun), 1915 (verb), alteration of graft (“corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation”), alteration perhaps influenced by similar sounding words, e.g. drift, etc., probably ultimately from Middle Dutch graft (“digging, ditch, canal, trench”) (modern Dutch gracht), related to Dutch graven (“to dig”), English grave (“to dig”). Etymology templates: {{m|en|graft|t=corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation}} graft (“corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation”), {{m|en|drift}} drift, {{der|en|dum|graft|t=digging, ditch, canal, trench}} Middle Dutch graft (“digging, ditch, canal, trench”), {{cog|nl|gracht}} Dutch gracht, {{cog|nl|graven|t=to dig}} Dutch graven (“to dig”), {{cog|en|grave|t=to dig}} English grave (“to dig”) Head templates: {{en-verb}} grift (third-person singular simple present grifts, present participle grifting, simple past and past participle grifted)
  1. (transitive, US, slang) To obtain illegally, as by con game. Tags: US, slang, transitive Translations (to obtain (money) illegally, as by con game): svindle (Danish), erschwindeln (German), kicsal (Hungarian)
    Sense id: en-grift-en-verb-1Z1ZLmTo Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 34 34 19 13 Disambiguation of 'to obtain (money) illegally, as by con game': 59 24 17
  2. (intransitive, US, slang) To obtain money illegally. Tags: US, intransitive, slang
    Sense id: en-grift-en-verb-3QAPwk~d Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 34 34 19 13
  3. (intransitive, US, slang) To obtain money immorally or through deceitful means. Tags: US, intransitive, slang
    Sense id: en-grift-en-verb-z8ewbGLN Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 34 34 19 13

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for grift meaning in English (6.7kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "graft",
        "t": "corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation"
      },
      "expansion": "graft (“corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation”)",
      "name": "m"
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    {
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dum",
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      },
      "expansion": "Middle Dutch graft (“digging, ditch, canal, trench”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
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      "expansion": "Dutch gracht",
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    {
      "args": {
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        "2": "grave",
        "t": "to dig"
      },
      "expansion": "English grave (“to dig”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "American criminal underworld slang, 1906 (noun), 1915 (verb), alteration of graft (“corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation”), alteration perhaps influenced by similar sounding words, e.g. drift, etc., probably ultimately from Middle Dutch graft (“digging, ditch, canal, trench”) (modern Dutch gracht), related to Dutch graven (“to dig”), English grave (“to dig”).",
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          "_dis": "34 34 19 13",
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          "word": "grifter"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Hey, what's the grift? What are you trying to pull?",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022, Paul McAuley, Beyond the Burn Line, Gollancz, page 172",
          "text": "‘Sounds like he’s trying to stretch out his grift for as long as possible,’ Gentle said. ‘Taking as much from his followers as he can before it falls apart.’",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
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        "A confidence game or swindle."
      ],
      "id": "en-grift-en-noun-Ueu1g2lu",
      "links": [
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          "confidence game",
          "confidence game"
        ],
        [
          "swindle",
          "swindle"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, slang) A confidence game or swindle."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "deception"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
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  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɡɹɪft/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪft"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-grift.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/91/En-au-grift.ogg/En-au-grift.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/En-au-grift.ogg",
      "tags": [
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  "word": "grift"
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{
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "name": "m"
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dum",
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      "expansion": "Middle Dutch graft (“digging, ditch, canal, trench”)",
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    },
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      "args": {
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      },
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        "1": "nl",
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      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
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        "2": "grave",
        "t": "to dig"
      },
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      "name": "cog"
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "American criminal underworld slang, 1906 (noun), 1915 (verb), alteration of graft (“corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation”), alteration perhaps influenced by similar sounding words, e.g. drift, etc., probably ultimately from Middle Dutch graft (“digging, ditch, canal, trench”) (modern Dutch gracht), related to Dutch graven (“to dig”), English grave (“to dig”).",
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      "form": "grifted",
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To obtain illegally, as by con game."
      ],
      "id": "en-grift-en-verb-1Z1ZLmTo",
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          "con game",
          "con game"
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, US, slang) To obtain illegally, as by con game."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "59 24 17",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to obtain (money) illegally, as by con game",
          "word": "svindle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "59 24 17",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to obtain (money) illegally, as by con game",
          "word": "erschwindeln"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "59 24 17",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to obtain (money) illegally, as by con game",
          "word": "kicsal"
        }
      ]
    },
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            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
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        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To obtain money illegally."
      ],
      "id": "en-grift-en-verb-3QAPwk~d",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, US, slang) To obtain money illegally."
      ],
      "tags": [
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        "intransitive",
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      ]
    },
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      "categories": [
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          "kind": "other",
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To obtain money immorally or through deceitful means."
      ],
      "id": "en-grift-en-verb-z8ewbGLN",
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        "(intransitive, US, slang) To obtain money immorally or through deceitful means."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "intransitive",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
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    },
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      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/En-au-grift.ogg",
      "tags": [
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    "Rhymes:English/ɪft/1 syllable"
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  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "grifter"
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  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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      "name": "der"
    },
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        "1": "nl",
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        "t": "to dig"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch graven (“to dig”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grave",
        "t": "to dig"
      },
      "expansion": "English grave (“to dig”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "American criminal underworld slang, 1906 (noun), 1915 (verb), alteration of graft (“corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation”), alteration perhaps influenced by similar sounding words, e.g. drift, etc., probably ultimately from Middle Dutch graft (“digging, ditch, canal, trench”) (modern Dutch gracht), related to Dutch graven (“to dig”), English grave (“to dig”).",
  "forms": [
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        "plural"
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    }
  ],
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        "American English",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Hey, what's the grift? What are you trying to pull?",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022, Paul McAuley, Beyond the Burn Line, Gollancz, page 172",
          "text": "‘Sounds like he’s trying to stretch out his grift for as long as possible,’ Gentle said. ‘Taking as much from his followers as he can before it falls apart.’",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A confidence game or swindle."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "confidence game",
          "confidence game"
        ],
        [
          "swindle",
          "swindle"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, slang) A confidence game or swindle."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "deception"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "ipa": "/ɡɹɪft/"
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    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪft"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-grift.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/91/En-au-grift.ogg/En-au-grift.ogg.mp3",
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      "tags": [
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  ],
  "word": "grift"
}

{
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        "1": "nl",
        "2": "graven",
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      "expansion": "Dutch graven (“to dig”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
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        "2": "grave",
        "t": "to dig"
      },
      "expansion": "English grave (“to dig”)",
      "name": "cog"
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "American criminal underworld slang, 1906 (noun), 1915 (verb), alteration of graft (“corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation”), alteration perhaps influenced by similar sounding words, e.g. drift, etc., probably ultimately from Middle Dutch graft (“digging, ditch, canal, trench”) (modern Dutch gracht), related to Dutch graven (“to dig”), English grave (“to dig”).",
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      "tags": [
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        "singular",
        "third-person"
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    },
    {
      "form": "grifting",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "grifted",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "grifted",
      "tags": [
        "past"
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  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {},
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English slang",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To obtain illegally, as by con game."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
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          "con game"
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, US, slang) To obtain illegally, as by con game."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English slang"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To obtain money illegally."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, US, slang) To obtain money illegally."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "intransitive",
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English slang"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To obtain money immorally or through deceitful means."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, US, slang) To obtain money immorally or through deceitful means."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "intransitive",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɡɹɪft/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪft"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-grift.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/91/En-au-grift.ogg/En-au-grift.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/En-au-grift.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
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    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to obtain (money) illegally, as by con game",
      "word": "svindle"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to obtain (money) illegally, as by con game",
      "word": "erschwindeln"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to obtain (money) illegally, as by con game",
      "word": "kicsal"
    }
  ],
  "word": "grift"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.