Diddler

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who cheats others out of money or belongings through trickery or deception
2. Someone who swindles people by dishonest schemes, often for small but repeated gains
3. A con artist or fraudster who takes advantage of others through sly, dishonest dealings

Etymology: "Diddler" is "diddle" plus the agent suffix "-er," so it names someone who diddles, that is, a person who cheats or swindles others. The suffix itself has a long pedigree: it descends from Latin "-arius," which passed through Old French "-ier" into Middle English "-er," and the same ending appears in countless English words for people who do a particular job or habit. The base verb "diddle" is the older and more interesting piece, and it is the part that carries the sense of petty trickery. The word is a straightforward combination, so the main story is less about invention than about how a simple suffix turned a verb of sly deception into a noun for the person who practises it.

Synonyms: swindler, cheat, con artist, fraud