Forms: 3–4 tricherie, -eri, trycherye, (3 tricheriȝe), 3–5 tricherye, (4 trichcherye, tricchori, 5 tricchery(e, trichory, 6 tritcherie); 4–7 trecherie, -ery, (4 -eri, -ori, trecchery, -eri, trecchry, 4–5 treccherie, 5 trechory, -ury, tretcherye, 6 -erie, 5–6 trecherye), 6– treachery, (7 treacherie). [a. OF. trecherie, tricherie (12th c. in Godef.), F. tricherie treachery, f. tricher to cheat + -erie, -ERY. See TREACHER.] Deceit, cheating, perfidy; violation of faith or betrayal of trust; perfidious conduct.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 202. Þe Vox of ȝiscunge haueð þeos hweolpes: Tricherie & Gile, Þeofðe, Reflac [etc.].
c. 1300. Havelok, 2988. Hwou he woren with wronge ledde … with trecherie.
1422. trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 231. Dysposyd to trechury and othyr ill tecchis.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, III. iii. (1883), 94. To make amendes to them that by theyr tricherye they haue endomaged.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. iv. 46. But Talus usde, in times of jeopardy, To keepe a nightly watch for dread of treachery.
1599. Dallam, in Early Voy. Levant (Hakl. Soc.), 55. We doubted that some tritcherie would hapen unto us.
1611. Cotgr., Tricherie, (whence, as it seemes, our trecherie) cousenage, deceit, a cheating, a beguiling.
1748. Anson’s Voy., II. vi. 191. In case of any misconduct or treachery, he threatened … that the Pilots should be instantly shot.
1866. Livingstone, Last Jrnls. (1873), I. x. 253. Treachery was suspected.
fig. 1896. Allbutt’s Syst. Med. I. 268. Presenting some resemblance in climate to the Riviera, it [S. California] shares some of its drawbacks, treachery amongst them.
b. esp. The deception or perfidy of a traitor; treason against a sovereign, lord, or master.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 18882 (Cott.). It most nu nede Þe writte be fulfild … O iudas and his trecheri [Gött. trechori].
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 4. Þe tulk þat þe trammes of tresoun þer wroȝt, Watz tried for his tricherie.
a. 1425. Cursor M., 15476 (Trin.). Bettur … to haue bene deed…. Þen wiþ a kissyng on þis wise His lord done triccherye [v.r. tresun].
1570. Levins, Manip., 106/18. Traytorie, proditio. Treachery, idem.
1651. N. Bacon, Dist. Govt. Eng., II. xl. 98. They preferred the good of their Countrey above all, accounting trechery against it … to be a crime of great concernment.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Treachery, Unfaithfulness, Disloyalty.
1911. G. Milligan, in Encycl. Brit., XV. 536/1. In ecclesiastical legend … Judas Iscariot is generally treated as the very incarnation of treachery.
c. With a and pl. An instance of this, an act of perfidy or treason.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3870 (Cott.). Laban said, ‘frend, ful blethli.’ Bot þar he did a trecheri.
c. 1300. Havelok, 443. He þouthe a ful strong trechery, A trayson, and a felony,… forto make.
1586. J. Hooker, Hist. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 142/1. They … revolve, as dogs to their vomits, so they to their treasons and treacheries.
1651. Nicholas Papers (Camden), I. 235. Hee that discovered to mee a trechery intended by one Tickell against mee in Irelond.
1726. Leoni, Alberti’s Archit., I. 66/1. Angles jutting out from … the Wall,… for treacheries, and for the safer throwing their Darts … are of some advantage to the Enemy.
1847. Helps, Friends in C., Ser. I. viii. 151. You hear a child reprimanded about a point of dress, or some trivial thing, as if it had committed a treachery.
d. transf. A substance that treacherously gives way under the feet.
1870. Lowell, Wks. (1890), III. 277. Slumping clumsily about in the mealy treachery.
1886. G. Allen, Kalee’s Shrine, xiii. 142. The intervening belt [of muddy quagmire] was one huge waste expanse of liquid treachery.
