beguile

views updated May 23 2018

be·guile / biˈgīl/ • v. [tr.] charm or enchant (someone), sometimes in a deceptive way: every prominent American artist has been beguiled by Maine [as adj.] (beguiling) a beguiling smile. ∎  trick (someone) into doing something: they were beguiled into signing a peace treaty.DERIVATIVES: be·guile·ment n.be·guil·er n.be·guil·ing·ly adv.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

beguile

views updated May 29 2018

beguile delude XIII; charm (away) XVI. f. BE- + †guile vb. (cf. GUILE sb.); cf. MDu. begīlen, AN. degiler.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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