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more about betray
betray |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Betray \Be*tray"\ (b[-e]*tr[=a]"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Betrayed} (-tr[=a]d"); p. pr & vb n. {Betraying}.] [OE. betraien bitraien pref. be- + OF tra["i]r to betray, F. trahir fr L. tradere See {Traitor}.] 1. To deliver into the hands of an enemy by treachery or fraud, in violation of trust; to give up treacherously or faithlessly; as an officer betrayed the city. Jesus said unto them The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men. --Matt. xvii. 22. 2. To prove faithless or treacherous to as to a trust or one who trusts; to be false to to deceive; as to betray a person or a cause But when I rise, I shall find my legs betraying me --Johnson. 3. To violate the confidence of by disclosing a secret, or that which one is bound in honor not to make known Willing to serve or betray any government for hire. --Macaulay. 4. To disclose or discover, as something which prudence would conceal; to reveal unintentionally. Be swift to hear, but cautious of your tongue, lest you betray your ignorance. --T. Watts. 5. To mislead; to expose to inconvenience not foreseen to lead into error or sin. Genius . . . often betrays itself into great errors. --T. Watts. 6. To lead astray, as a maiden; to seduce (as under promise of marriage) and then abandon. 7. To show or to indicate; -- said of what is not obvious at first or would otherwise be concealed. All the names in the country betray great antiquity. --Bryant. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: betray v 1: reveal unintentionally; "Her smile betrayed her true feelings" [syn: {bewray}] 2: deliver to an enemy by treachery; "Judas sold Jesus"; "The spy betrayed his country" [syn: {sell}] 3: disappoint, prove undependable to abandon, forsake; "His sense of smell failed him this time"; "His strength finally failed him"; "His children failed him in the crisis" [syn: {fail}] 4: be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage; "She cheats on her husband"; "Might her husband be wandering?" [syn: {cheat on}, {cheat}, {cuckold}, {wander}] 5: give away information about somebody; "He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam" [syn: {denounce}, {tell on}, {give away}, {rat}, {grass}, {peach}, {shit}, {shop}, {snitch}, {stag}] 6: cause someone to believe an untruth; "The insurance company deceived me when they told me they were covering my house" [syn: {deceive}, {lead astray}] [ant: {undeceive}]
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