Baratree

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state or place characterized by disorder, confusion, or corruption, especially involving bribery or illegal payments; a contrivance or scheme designed to obtain money or advantage by deceit or fraud; a judicial term referring to persistent inciting of litigation or vexatious lawsuits
2. An environment marked by rampant corruption or chaos, often connected with bribery and unethical behavior; a deliberate plot or mechanism intended to secure profits through dishonest means; in law, the practice of stirring up needless lawsuits or legal harassment
3. A condition or location plagued by tumult, malfeasance, or bribery-related corruption; a fraudulent plan or device for gaining financial benefit illicitly; a legal concept denoting the instigation of unfounded litigation or baseless legal disputes

Etymology: In Italian, "baratto" meant an exchange or barter, and the sense of cheating grew out of the haggling and swapping that trade involved. Old French borrowed it as "barat," meaning fraud, deceit, or trickery, and English later took it through Anglo-French. The Italian word's own origin is uncertain. The legal sense comes from maritime law, where the term described a ship's master or crew defrauding the vessel's owners or insurers, for example by scuttling a ship for its cargo money or running a scheme for personal gain. Over time it broadened to cover any deliberate wrongdoing that cheated an employer or backer. The other senses, of corruption and of baseless lawsuits, followed the same thread of deception for profit.

Synonyms: barratry