Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
embezzle — em·bez·zle /im be zəl/ vt em·bez·zled, em·bez·zling [Anglo French embeseiller to make away with, from en , prefix stressing completion + beseller to snatch, misappropriate, from Old French, to destroy]: to convert (property entrusted to one s… … Law dictionary
Embezzle — Em*bez zle ([e^]m*b[e^]z z l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Embezzled} ([e^]m*b[e^]z z ld); p. pr. & vb. n. {Embezzling}.] [Norm. F. embeseiller to destroy; cf. OF. besillier to ill treat, ravage, destroy. Cf. {Bezzle}.] 1. To appropriate fraudulently to … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
embezzle — em‧bez‧zle [ɪmˈbezl] verb [intransitive, transitive] LAW ACCOUNTING if someone embezzles money from the company or organization they work for, they steal it, perhaps over a period of time, and use it for themselves: • An American banker, accused … Financial and business terms
embezzle — early 15c., from Anglo Fr. embesiler to steal, cause to disappear (c.1300), from O.Fr. em (see EN (Cf. en ) (1)) + besillier torment, destroy, gouge, of unknown origin. Sense of to dispose of fraudulently is first recorded 1580s. Related:… … Etymology dictionary
embezzle — [v] steal money, often from employer abstract, appropriate, defalcate, filch, forge, loot, misapply, misappropriate, misuse, peculate, pilfer, purloin, put hand in cookie jar*, put hand in till*, skim, thieve; concept 139 Ant. compensate, give,… … New thesaurus
embezzle — ► VERB ▪ steal or misappropriate (money placed in one s trust or under one s control). DERIVATIVES embezzlement noun embezzler noun. ORIGIN Old French embesiler, from besiler destroy, maltreat … English terms dictionary
embezzle — [em bez′əl, imbez′əl] vt. embezzled, embezzling [ME embesilen < Anglo Fr enbesiler < OFr embesillier < en (see EN 1) + besillier, to destroy] to steal (money, etc. entrusted to one s care); take by fraud for one s own use embezzlement n … English World dictionary
embezzle — verb /əmˈbɛzəl/ To steal or misappropriate money that one has been trusted with, especially to steal money from ones employer. You waste your education in burglary. You should do one of two things. Either you should forge or you should embezzle.… … Wiktionary
embezzle — v. (D; intr., tr.) to embezzle from * * * [ɪm bez(ə)l] (D; intr., tr.) to embezzle from … Combinatory dictionary
embezzle — UK [ɪmˈbez(ə)l] / US verb [intransitive/transitive] Word forms embezzle : present tense I/you/we/they embezzle he/she/it embezzles present participle embezzling past tense embezzled past participle embezzled to steal money that people trust you… … English dictionary
embezzle — verb Embezzle is used with these nouns as the object: ↑fund, ↑money … Collocations dictionary
