WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
dupe1 /dup, dyup/USA pronunciation
n., v., duped, dup•ing.
n. [countable]
v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025n. [countable]
- a person who is easily tricked:He was the dupe of the racketeers.
- a person who serves a cause without question:The senator accused them of being dupes of a communist conspiracy.
v.
- to make a dupe of;
deceive;
delude;
trick: [~ + object]The agency duped her.[~ + object + into + object]They had duped me into the sale.
dupe1
(do̅o̅p, dyo̅o̅p),USA pronunciation n., v., duped, dup•ing.
n.
v.t.
dup′a•ble, adj.
dup′a•bil′i•ty, n.
dup′er, n.
dupe2 (do̅o̅p, dyo̅o̅p),USA pronunciation n., v., duped, dup•ing, adj. [Informal.]
n.
v.t., v.i.
adj.
n.
- a person who is easily deceived or fooled;
gull. - a person who unquestioningly or unwittingly serves a cause or another person:a dupe of the opponents.
v.t.
- to make a dupe of;
deceive;
delude;
trick.
- Vulgar Latin *uppa, Latin upupa hoopoe, a bird thought to be especially stupid; compare hoopoe
- French; Middle French duppe for *(tête) d'uppe head of hoopoe, i.e., fool (cf tête de fou)
- 1675–85
dup′a•bil′i•ty, n.
dup′er, n.
dupe2 (do̅o̅p, dyo̅o̅p),USA pronunciation n., v., duped, dup•ing, adj. [Informal.]
n.
- Informal Termsduplicate.
- Cinema, Show Business[Motion Pictures.]
- Cinemaa duplicate picture negative used for making additional release prints or for making special effects to be inserted in the release negative.
- Cinemathe procedure for producing such a duplicate.
- Cinema, Radio and Television, Show Business[Television.]a duplicate videotape obtained by electronic printing of the original videotape.
v.t., v.i.
- to duplicate.
adj.
- duplicate.
- by shortening 1895–90