cheater
UK: ˈtʃiːtə | US: ˈtʃiːtər
n. a person who acts dishonestly to gain an advantage
n. (informal) a tool or device used to circumvent rules (e.g., "game cheater")
cheater = cheat<to deceive> + er<agent noun suffix>
- cheat: From Middle English cheten, meaning "to escheat" (confiscate property), later evolving to "deceive" due to associations with fraudulent legal seizures.
- er: Agentive suffix from Old English -ere, indicating "one who does."
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to the legal term escheat (property reverting to the state), where officials ("cheaters") were perceived as dishonest. By the 1500s, "cheat" generalized to any deception, and "cheater" became the label for a dishonest person.
The teacher caught the cheater using hidden notes during the exam.
He was labeled a cheater after manipulating the game’s code.
Trust is broken when a partner is revealed to be a cheater.
The software detects cheaters in online multiplayer games.
Historically, tax collectors were often viewed as cheaters.