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O murderous slumber, Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy That plays thee music Gentle knave, good night. Shak.

The practices of a knave; petty villainy; fraud; trickery; a knavish action. This is flat knavery, to take upon you another man's name. Shak.

A small due, in meal, established by usage, which is paid to the under miller. [Scot.]

A knavish woman. Carlyle.

To call knave. [Obs.] Pope.

To surpass in knavery.

To censure or revile the absent. They are arrant knaves, and will backbite. Shak.

f the two highest cards in the pack commonly used in the game of euchre. Right bower, the knave of the trump suit, the highest card (except the "Joker") in the game. -- Left bower, the knave of the other suit of the same color as the trump, being the next to the right bower in value. -- Best bower or Joker, in some f…

ing; accident; fortuity; casualty. It was a chance that happened to us. 1 Sam. vi. 9. The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts, And wins (O shameful chance!) the Queen of Hearts. Pope. I spake of most disastrous chance. Shak.

erson, taken together. -- Coat card, a card bearing a coated figure; the king, queen, or knave of playing cards. "`I am a coat card indeed.' `Then thou must needs be a knave, for thou art neither king nor queen.'" Rowley. -- Coat link, a pair of buttons or studs joined by a link, to hold together the lappels of a dou…

is of contrary or opposite qualities. No contraries hold more antipathy Than I and such a knave. Shak.

perverted; as, corrupt language; corrupt judges. At what ease Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt To swear against you. Shak.

To carry on a deception; to dissemble; to feign; to pretend. The knave counterfeits well; a good knave. Shak.

Skillful at deceiving others; characterized by craft; cunning; wily. "A pair of crafty knaves." Shak. With anxious care and crafty wiles. J. Baillie.

A spendthrift. [Obs.] Wilt thou, therefore, a drunkard be, A dingthrift and a knave Drant.

persons, the highest card (except when an extra card called the Joker is used) being the knave of the same suit as the trump, and called right bower, the lowest card used being the seven, or frequently, in two-handed euchre, the nine spot. See Bower.

To play, whistle, or sing with a clear, soft note, like that of a flute. Knaves are men, That lute and flute fantastic tenderness. Tennyson. The redwing flutes his o-ka-lee. Emerson.

the same class, profession, occupation, character, or tastes. With what terms of respect knaves and sots will speak of their own fraternity! South.

Rascally; scandalous. [R.] "Furciferous knaves." De Quincey.

A swindler; a knave; a cheat. [Slang] Without a confederate the . . . game of baccarat does not . . . offer many chances for the Greek. Sat. Rev.