cheat / chēt/ • v. 1. [intr.] act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, esp. in a game or examination: she always cheats at cards. ∎  [tr.] deceive or trick: he had cheated her out of everything she had. ∎  use inferior materials or methods unobtrusively in order to save time or money: they cheat by photographing mashed potatoes instead of ice cream. ∎ inf. be sexually unfaithful: his wife was cheating on him.2. [tr.] avoid (something undesirable) by luck or skill: she cheated death in a spectacular crash. ∎ archaic help (time) pass.• n. a person who behaves dishonestly in order to gain an advantage: a liar and a cheat. ∎  an act of cheating; a fraud or deception.

cheat †escheat XIV; †booty, spoil; †(thieves' cant) stolen thing, (gen.) thing, article XVI; fraud; deceiver, impostor XVII. Aphetic for ESCHEAT. The two last senses are from the vb. (escheat XV; defraud, deceive XVI); but cheater is earlier (XIV) — AN. chetour, for eschetour.