Bilk \Bilk\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bilked}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bilking}.] [Origin unknown. Cf. {Balk}.] To frustrate or disappoint; to deceive or defraud, by nonfulfillment of engagement; to leave in the lurch; to give the slip to; as, to bilk a creditor. --Thackeray.
Bilk \Bilk\, n. 1. A thwarting an adversary in cribbage by spoiling his score; a balk.
2. A cheat; a trick; a hoax. --Hudibras.
3. Nonsense; vain words. --B. Jonson.
4. A person who tricks a creditor; an untrustworthy, tricky person. --Marryat.
The amoral Mrs. Begbick and her band of law-breaking opportunists establish Mahoganny, a town of fantasy where they plan to bilk the bored but well-heeled.
Secord's ties to Mr. Wilson had helped force him out of a high-level Pentagon job, and a company of Mr. Clines's, financed with help from Mr. Wilson, pleaded guilty in a scheme to bilk the Pentagon on arms shipments to Egypt.
Weiner is on trial on fraud charges in an alleged scheme to bilk millions of dollars from investors in his and others' companies that dealt in precious metals.
"At each link in the chain, we keep turning up these schemes to bilk Medicare for the maximum in profits," Sen. Sasser said.