Lexic.us

Definition of Humbug

1. Verb. Trick or deceive.

2. Noun. Pretentious or silly talk or writing.

3. Noun. Communication (written or spoken) intended to deceive.

4. Noun. Something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage.

Definition of Humbug

1. n. An imposition under fair pretenses; something contrived in order to deceive and mislead; a trick by cajolery; a hoax.

2. v. t. To deceive; to impose; to cajole; to hoax.

Definition of Humbug

1. Noun. A hoax, prank or jest ¹

2. Noun. A fraud or sham ¹

3. Noun. A fraudster or cheat ¹

4. Noun. (British) A type of chewy sweet (candy) ¹

5. Interjection. nonsense! ¹

6. Verb. To play a trick on. ¹

7. Verb. To cheat, swindle. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Humbug

1. to deceive [v -BUGGED, -BUGGING, -BUGS] - See also: deceive

Lexicographical Neighbors of Humbug

humbler humblers humbles humblest humbleth humbling humblingly humblings humbly humboldtine

humbucker humbuckers humbucking humbucking pickup humbug (current term) humbuged humbugged humbugger humbuggeries humbuggers

humbuggery humbugging humbuging humbugs humbuzz humbuzzes humdinger humdingers humdrum

Literary usage of Humbug

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse by Anna Sewell (1904)
"A humbug MY master was not immediately suited, but in a few days my new groom came. He was a tall, good-looking fellow- enough ; but if ever there was a ..."

2. The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare (1912)
"... looks around at him when he says "wife" — credulously — she fears her husband is a bit of a humbug. She is putting on the gloves during this speech. ..."

3. The Library of Wit and Humor, Prose and Poetry: Selected from the Literature by Rufus Edmonds Shapley (1884)
"Sir, all humbug ! except the dampness of everything, winch is a moist certainty, and the cupidity of everybody, which is a diabolical fact, and the Indians ..."

4. The Musical World (1853)
"The Courier and Enquirer considers the whole a stupendous humbug. In what consists the humbug ? The music ?—In the | classic as well as the romantic style, ..."

5. History of California by Theodore Henry Hittell (1898)
"Subsequently in 1853, when hydraulic mining commenced there and a town started, it was also called humbug from the name of the creek. ..."

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