thimblerig

[ thim-buhl-rig ]

noun

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 cups about, offers to bet that no one can tell under which cup the pellet or pea lies.

verb (used with object)

, thim·ble·rigged, thim·ble·rig·ging.

1. to cheat by or as by the thimblerig.

thimblerig

/ ˈθɪmbəlˌrɪɡ /

noun

1. a game in which the operator rapidly moves about three inverted thimbles, often with sleight of hand, one of which conceals a token, the other player betting on which thimble the token is under

verb

1. tr to cheat or swindle, as in this game

Derived Forms

• ˈthimbleˌrigger, noun

Other Words From

• thimble·rigger noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of thimblerig¹

First recorded in 1815–25; thimble + rig (in a British sense “a swindle, fraud”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of thimblerig¹

C19: from thimble + rig (in obsolete sense: a trick, scheme)

Example Sentences

How terribly alike are all human rogueries, whether the scene be a conference at Vienna, or the tent of a thimblerig at Ascot!

From Project Gutenberg

A Tory told me it was a second edition of the thimblerig speech, which, if so, will not do him good.

From Project Gutenberg

"Well, well! and did they ever come the thimblerig on you?"

From Project Gutenberg