noun / verb
wile
WYLE/wˈaɪl/
A cunning trick to persuade or deceive someone, or to use such a trick.
The dishonest player uses his wiles to hide the ball beneath the table.
Etymology
Old English wil already meant a crafty stratagem: the central idea is cleverness used to deceive. The modern sense preserves this meaning, while the word's deeper origin remains uncertain.
In context
he suspected the whole business to be enchantment--a possible wile of the Lavender Dragon to detain him indefinitely, fog his senses and deaden his soul to the clarion of duty.
More examples
- Her practiced wiles persuade him to reveal the secret.
- The tale warns against the stranger's deceptive wiles.
- He wiles his way into their confidence with flattering stories.
Forms
wile · wiles · wiled · wiling