Word of the Day

: February 27, 2007

shill

verb SHILL

What It Means

1 : to act as a decoy (as for a pitchman or gambler)

2 : to act as a spokesperson or promoter

shill in Context

She's starring in a new sitcom this season and also shilling for a shampoo in a series of newly released ads.

Did You Know?

Professionals licensed to shill won't necessarily knock you dead, but they may not do you any good either. They might simply be pitchmen employed to extol the wonders of legitimate products. But in the early 1900s, when the first uses of the verb "shill" were documented, it was more likely that anyone hired to shill you was trying to con you into parting with some cash. Practitioners were called "shills" (that noun also dates from the early 1900s), and they did everything from faking big wins at casinos (to promote gambling) to pretending to buy tickets (to encourage people to see certain shows). "Shill" is thought to be a shortened form of "shillaber," but etymologists have found no definitive evidence of where that longer term originated.

*Indicates sense illustrated in the example sentence.