thimblerigged — n. game of deception in which a small ball is hidden under one of three cup shaped objects which are then moved about while onlookers try and guess the ball s location, shell game v. cheat, swindle, deceive by a quick movement of the hands (in… … English contemporary dictionary
Thimblerig — Thim ble*rig , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Thimblerigged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Thimblerigging}.] To swindle by means of small cups or thimbles, and a pea or small ball placed under one of them and quickly shifted to another, the victim laying a wager that… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Thimblerigging — Thimblerig Thim ble*rig , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Thimblerigged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Thimblerigging}.] To swindle by means of small cups or thimbles, and a pea or small ball placed under one of them and quickly shifted to another, the victim laying a… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
thimblerig — thimblerigger, n. /thim beuhl rig /, n., v., thimblerigged, thimblerigging. n. 1. a sleight of hand swindling game in which the operator palms a pellet or pea while appearing to cover it with one of three thimblelike cups, and then, moving the… … Universalium
thimblerig — /ˈθɪmbəlrɪg/ (say thimbuhlrig) noun 1. a swindling game in which the operator apparently covers a small ball or pea with one of three thimble like cups, and then, moving the cups about, offers to bet that no one can tell under which cup the ball… …
thimblerig — [thim′bəl rig΄] n. [see RIG] SHELL GAME vt., vi. thimblerigged, thimblerigging to cheat or swindle, as in this game thimblerigger n … English World dictionary