bilk
UK: bɪlk | US: bɪlk
vt. to cheat or defraud someone, especially by evading payment
vt. to evade or elude (a pursuer or obligation)
n. (archaic) a swindle or deception
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The origin of "bilk" is uncertain but likely stems from 17th-century slang. It may derive from the game of cribbage, where "bilk" referred to spoiling an opponent's score. Another theory links it to the Danish "bielke" (to deceive). Over time, it generalized to mean any form of cheating or evasion, particularly financial fraud. Its compact structure suggests it was adopted as a colloquial term without clear morphological breakdown.
The con artist tried to bilk elderly investors out of their savings.
He bilked the hotel by leaving without paying the bill.
The company was accused of bilking customers with hidden fees.
She managed to bilk her pursuers by slipping through a back alley.
(Archaic) The merchant’s reputation was ruined after a notorious bilk.