Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
verb
To achieve or obtain (something) by complicated or deceitful methods; to finagle, to wangle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dialectal, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To cheat or deceive (someone).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dialectal, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To evade work or shirk responsibility.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dialectal, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To fail to keep a promise; to renege.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dialectal, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To renege (“break one's commitment to follow suit when capable”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dialectal, intransitive
Topics: card-games, games
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Uncertain; perhaps: * related to Old French fornoiier, fornier (“to deny”), from for- (prefix expressing error, exclusion, or inadequacy) + noiier, nier (“to deny”) (compare Late Latin forīsnegāre (“to renege, repudiate”), where the Frankish for- is rendered into Latin as forīs), from Latin negāre (“to deny; to refuse, say no; to reject, turn down (something)”), from nē (“no; not”) + aiō (“to affirm, say ‘yes’”)) (for the word ending, compare reneague (“to refuse to follow suit in a card game, renege; to deny, refuse; act of refusing to follow suit in a card game”) (Britain, dialectal)); or * from feign (“to pretend”) + ague (“intermittent fever; (obsolete) acute fever”), or French aigüe (“(medicine) acute”) (as in maladie aiguë (“acute illness”)), literally “to act sick”.
