noun
schnook
SHNUK/ʃnʊk/
A foolish or gullible person who is easily taken advantage of.
The seller treats the gullible buyer as a schnook.
Etymology
The origin is uncertain, probably involving Yiddish shnuk, “elephant’s trunk.” Alternatives include an alteration of schmuck or a German word for a small sheep used in American Yiddish for an easily persuaded customer.
More examples
- The comedy’s well-meaning schnook trusts every stranger.
- She refused to be treated as a helpless schnook.
- The swindler searched for another schnook to deceive.
Forms
schnook · schnooks
Similar words
- dupe
- A dupe is deceived; a schnook is portrayed as gullible or ineffectual more generally.
- sucker
- Sucker is another informal term for someone easily fooled; schnook can sound more comic or sympathetic.