spoof

[ spoof ]

noun

1. a mocking imitation of someone or something, usually light and good-humored; lampoon or parody:

   The show was a spoof of college life.

2. a hoax; prank.

verb (used with object)

1. to mock (something or someone) lightly and good-humoredly; kid.
2. to fool by a hoax; play a trick on, especially one intended to deceive.
3. to trick (electronic devices, as radar), by interrupting or otherwise corrupting data in order to avoid detection.
4. Digital Technology. to misrepresent (the identity of a party or the origin of data) in a communication, in order to misdirect digital authentication or other security measures: Suspects spoofed caller ID when they phoned in the anonymous threats. Compare phish ( def ).

   Hackers spoofed the IP to fool the network into providing access.

   Suspects spoofed caller ID when they phoned in the anonymous threats.

   The sender’s email address was spoofed to fool the company’s spam filters.

verb (used without object)

1. to scoff at something lightly and good-humoredly; kid:

   The campus paper was always spoofing about the regulations.

spoof

/ spuːf /

noun

1. a mildly satirical mockery or parody; lampoon

   a spoof on party politics

2. a good-humoured deception or trick; prank

verb

1. to indulge in a spoof of (a person or thing)
2. to communicate electronically under a false identity

Derived Forms

• ˈspoofer, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of spoof¹

First recorded in 1885–90; after a game invented and named by Arthur Roberts (1852–1933), British comedian

Word History and Origins

Origin of spoof¹

C19: coined by A. Roberts (1852–1933), English comedian, to designate a game of his own invention

Example Sentences

And during the presidential election campaign, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff has so successfully modeled being the cheerleading husband to a powerful woman that Andy Samberg made “wife guy” supportiveness the core of his Emhoff spoof on “Saturday Night Live.”

From Los Angeles Times

The spoof opens with the squeaky-clean Manning playing touch football with the group, encouraging everyone in the huddle to practice teamwork and have fun.

From Los Angeles Times

Former President Obama was known for making frequent late-night appearances and for trying to reach younger voters through unusual channels — once making the case for the Affordable Care Act on the spoof web series “Between Two Ferns.”

From Los Angeles Times

Wendy’s Krabby Patty spoof is a quarter-pound burger topped with two slices of melted American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and a special Krabby Kollab sauce.

From Salon

An FBI affidavit, filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, flagged the spoof Post site as just one of 32 domains that the U.S. government identified as part of a Kremlin propaganda initiative.

From Salon

Related Words

• burlesque
• caricature
• parody
• prank
• satire