Chowsing

/ˈtʃaʊzɪŋ/ verb

Definition

The act of cheating or swindling someone out of money or goods.

Etymology

Present participle of 'chowse,' from the Turkish çaush. This verbal form became common in Early Modern English to describe active deception.

Kelly Says

Medieval trade routes brought more than just spices and silk—they brought words that captured the thieves and con artists Europeans encountered, preserving language evidence of international fraud!

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