n. [ OF. deceit, desçait, decept (cf. deceite, deçoite), fr. L. deceptus deception, fr. decipere. See Deceive. ] 1. An attempt or disposition to deceive or lead into error; any declaration, artifice, or practice, which misleads another, or causes him to believe what is false; a contrivance to entrap; deception; a wily device; fraud. [ 1913 Webster ]

Making the ephah small and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit. Amos viii. 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

Friendly to man, far from deceit or guile. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Yet still we hug the dear deceit. N. Cotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Any trick, collusion, contrivance, false representation, or underhand practice, used to defraud another. When injury is thereby effected, an action of deceit, as it called, lies for compensation.

Syn. -- Deception; fraud; imposition; duplicity; trickery; guile; falsifying; double-dealing; stratagem. See Deception. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of, or characterized by, deceit; serving to mislead or insnare; trickish; fraudulent; cheating; insincere. [ 1913 Webster ]

Harboring foul deceitful thoughts. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With intent to deceive. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The disposition to deceive; as, a man's deceitfulness may be habitual. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The quality of being deceitful; as, the deceitfulness of a man's practices. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Tendency to mislead or deceive. “The deceitfulness of riches.” Matt. xiii. 22. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Free from deceit. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of deceiving one's self, or the state of being self-deceived; self-deception. [ 1913 Webster ]