Where does “defraud” come from?
Defraud comes from Middle English defrauden, from Old French defrauder, combining the prefix de- with Latin defraudāre, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ meaning "two," reflecting the sense of dividing or separating someone from what is rightfully theirs.
defraud (English): To obtain money or property from by fraud; to...
Definitions
- To obtain money or property from by fraud; to...
Ancestry of “defraud”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | defrauden | — |
| 2 | Old French | defrauder | — |
| 3 | Old French | de- | Alternative form of des-; indicating that an... |
| 4 | Old French | des- | de-; dis- |
| 5 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 6 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 7 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
Words derived from “defraud”