Impost

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɪmpəʊst/

Definitions

1. A person who feigns identity for deceptive aims often to exploit others
2. An individual who falsely presents themselves to deceive others, often for personal gain
3. Someone who deliberately adopts a counterfeit identity to mislead people and benefit unfairly

Etymology: "Impost" comes from Latin "impositus," the past participle of "imponere," meaning "to place upon." The idea of something placed on someone gave rise to the English sense of a tax or duty laid on goods. The word reached English through Middle French "impost." A separate Italian line, "imposta," gave English a different sense: the block at the top of a pillar on which an arch rests. The same physical idea of something set on top of something else runs through both senses. The sense of a fake identity belongs to "impostor" instead. That word comes from Latin "impostor," meaning "deceiver," from the same verb "imponere," so the two words share a root but took different paths.

Synonyms: propping, support, bracket, strut