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Definition shill

Etymology

Unknown; attested as verb 1914, as noun 1916. Perhaps an abbreviation of shillaber, attested 1913. The word entered English via carny, originally denoting a carnival worker who pretends to be a member of the audience in an attempt to elicit interest in an attraction.

Speculatively an extended form of German Schieber (“black marketeer, profiteer”) via *shi-la-ber.

There are some suggestions that it originates in the surname Shilaber or Shillibeer, especially George Shillibeer, but proposed origins are dubious as the word is first attested in North America in the 20th century, while proposed models are 19th century British.

Benjamin Penhallow Shillaber was known to write under the name Mrs. Ruth Partington to lend credibility to some of his ideas. This is one more possible origin of the word, but this too is pure speculation.

Noun

shill (plural shills)

1. A person paid to endorse a product favourably, while pretending to be impartial.
2. An accomplice at a confidence trick during an auction or gambling game.
3. (gambling) A house player in a casino.

Verb

shill (third-person singular simple present shills, present participle shilling, simple past and past participle shilled)

1. (derogatory) To promote or endorse in return for payment, especially dishonestly.
2. To put under cover; to sheal.
3. (Britain, obsolete, dialectal) To shell.

Results 498 Words with the letters SHILL

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