bilker

A man is known as a bilker for skipping out on his restaurant bill.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who swindles or defrauds: "bilker" refers to someone who cheats another person, especially by avoiding payment of a debt or by trickery.
   • A person who evades payment: Specifically, it denotes someone who avoids paying what is owed, such as a fare or a bill, through deceit or dishonesty.

Usage Examples

• (A person who avoids paying a fare.)
• (A person who habitually swindles creditors.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a bilker": to act as a person who cheats or evades payment.
  • He was accused of being a bilker when he failed to settle his restaurant bill. (He was accused of dishonestly avoiding payment.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bilk (verb): to cheat or defraud someone, especially by avoiding payment.
  • The contractor tried to bilk the homeowner out of thousands of dollars. (To swindle or cheat.)
• Bilking (noun/verb): the act of cheating or defrauding.
  • Bilking the system is a serious offense. (The act of dishonestly avoiding payment.)

Synonyms

• Swindler: a person who uses deception to obtain money or property.
• Defrauder: someone who commits fraud.
• Cheat: a person who acts dishonestly to gain an advantage.
• Deadbeat: a person who avoids paying debts or obligations.

Related Idioms

• To bilk someone out of something: to cheat someone out of money or property.
  • The con artist bilked the elderly woman out of her life savings. (Cheated her out of her savings.)