trick

Everyday

1. Something done to fool or cheat someone. tree →
2. A clever or funny action that needs skill: a magic trick, a skateboard trick. tree →
3. A clever way of doing something: a trick for remembering. tree →
4. A joke played on someone: play a trick on. tree →
5. Verb: to make someone believe something false. tree →

In the lessons

In truth and safety lessons: tricky people use tricks to get children to go with them (asking for help with a lost puppy, offering sweets) — say no and tell an adult; online tricks ask for passwords. In stories tricks are played by clever characters (fox, Anansi). In maths: a trick question has a catch; tricks help mental maths (to multiply by 10 add a zero). Phrases: play a trick on, trick or treat, magic trick, do the trick, trick question, tricky.

Examples

• He did a magic trick with a coin. tree →
• The fox tricked the crow into dropping the cheese. tree →
• It was a trick question! tree →
• We went trick-or-treating on Halloween. tree →
• A stranger might use a trick like «help me find my puppy» — say no and tell an adult. tree →
• My dog can do tricks. tree →
• Here's a trick to remember the planets. tree →
• A cold flannel did the trick. tree →
• So the Farmer hit on a trick. tree →

Note

Regular verb: tricked. «Tricky» means difficult or full of tricks. «Do the trick» = solve the problem. A trick is fun only when nobody is hurt or fooled about something important.