trick (trĭk)
n.

1. An act or procedure intended to achieve an end by deceptive or fraudulent means. See synonyms at wile.
2. A mischievous action; a prank.
3. A stupid, disgraceful, or childish act or performance.
4. 1. A peculiar trait or characteristic; a mannerism: "Mimicry is the trick by which a moth or other defenseless insect comes to look like a wasp" (Marston Bates).
   2. A peculiar event with unexpected, often deceptive results: "One of history's cruelest tricks is to take words that sounded good at the time and make them sound pretty stupid" (David Owen).
   3. A deceptive or illusive appearance; an illusion: a trick of sunlight.
5. 1. A special skill; a knack: Is there a trick to getting this window to stay up?
   2. A convention or specialized skill peculiar to a particular field of activity: learned the tricks of the winemaking trade.
6. A feat of magic or legerdemain.
7. A difficult, dexterous, or clever act designed to amuse.
8. Games.
   1. All the cards played in a single round, one from each player.
   2. One such round.
9. 1. A period or turn of duty, as at the helm of a ship.
   2. Slang. A prison term.
10. Slang.
    1. An act of prostitution.
    2. A prostitute's customer.
    3. A session carried out by a prostitute with a client.
11. Slang. A robbery or theft.

tr. & intr.v., tricked, trick·ing, tricks.
To cheat or deceive or to practice trickery or deception.

adj.

1. Of, relating to, or involving tricks.
2. Capable of performing tricks: a trick dog.
3. Designed or made for doing a trick or tricks: trick cards; trick dice.
4. Weak, defective, or liable to fail: a trick knee.

phrasal verb:

trick out Informal. or up

1. To ornament or adorn, often garishly: was all tricked out in beads and fringe.

idioms:

do (or turn) the trick

1. To bring about the desired result.

how's tricks Informal.

1. Used to make a friendly inquiry about a person or that person's affairs.

not miss a trick

1. To be extremely alert: The teacher was known for not missing a trick.

[Middle English trik, from Old North French trique, from trikier, to deceive, probably from Vulgar Latin *triccāre, from Latin trīcārī, to play tricks, from trīcae, tricks.]

tricker trick'er n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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