False Definition
- to deceive, cheat, hoodwink, or betray someone
- to cause misunderstanding of the intentions, opinions, etc. of
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to False
- play someone false
- put in a false position
Origin of False
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Middle English false, from Anglo-Norman and Old French fals, faus, from Latin falsus (“counterfeit, false; falsehood”), perfect passive participle of fallō (“deceive”). Compare Old English fals (“wrong, mistaken”), German falsch, Dutch vals, Danish and Swedish falsk, all from Latin falsus. Displaced native Middle English les, lese (“false”), from Old English lēas; See lease, leasing.
From Wiktionary
Middle English fals from Old English counterfeit, and from Old French false both from Latin falsus from past participle of fallere to deceive
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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For spelling, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in falls, and does not change the vowel (‘a’). Compare else, pulse, convulse.
From Wiktionary
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