Con·fi·dence n.
 1. The act of confiding, trusting, or putting faith in; trust; reliance; belief; -- formerly followed by of, now commonly by in.
    Society is built upon trust, and trust upon confidence of one another's integrity.   --South.
    A cheerful confidence in the mercy of God.   --Macaulay.
 2. That in which faith is put or reliance had.
    The Lord shall be thy confidence.   --Prov. iii. 26.
 3. The state of mind characterized by one's reliance on himself, or his circumstances; a feeling of self-sufficiency; such assurance as leads to a feeling of security; self-reliance; -- often with self prefixed.
 Your wisdom is consumed in confidence;
 Do not go forth to-day.   --Shak.
 But confidence then bore thee on secure
 Either to meet no danger, or to find
 Matter of glorious trial.   --Milton.
 4. Private conversation; (pl.) secrets shared; as, there were confidences between them.
    Sir, I desire some confidence with you.   --Shak.
 Confidence game, any swindling operation in which advantage is taken of the confidence reposed by the victim in the swindler; several swindlers often work together to create the illusion of truth; -- also called con game.
 Confidence man, a swindler.
 To take into one's confidence, to admit to a knowledge of one's feelings, purposes, or affairs.
 Syn: -- Trust; assurance; expectation; hope.
    I am confident that very much be done.   --Boyle.
 2. Trustful; without fear or suspicion; frank; unreserved.
 Be confident to speak, Northumberland;
 We three are but thyself.   --Shak.
 3. Having self-reliance; bold; undaunted.
 As confident as is the falcon's flight
 Against a bird, do I with Mowbray fight.   --Shak.
 4. Having an excess of assurance; bold to a fault; dogmatical; impudent; presumptuous.
    The fool rageth and is confident.   --Prov. xiv. 16.
 5. Giving occasion for confidence. [R.]
    The cause was more confident than the event was prosperous.   --Jer. Taylor.

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 Game, n.
 1. Sport of any kind; jest, frolic.
    We have had pastimes here, and pleasant game.   --Shak.
 2. A contest, physical or mental, according to certain rules, for amusement, recreation, or for winning a stake; as, a game of chance; games of skill; field games, etc.
 But war's a game, which, were their subject wise,
 Kings would not play at.   --Cowper.
 Note: ☞ Among the ancients, especially the Greeks and Romans, there were regularly recurring public exhibitions of strength, agility, and skill under the patronage of the government, usually accompanied with religious ceremonies. Such were the Olympic, the Pythian, the Nemean, and the Isthmian games.
 3. The use or practice of such a game; a single match at play; a single contest; as, a game at cards.
    Talk the game o'er between the deal.   --Lloyd.
 4. That which is gained, as the stake in a game; also, the number of points necessary to be scored in order to win a game; as, in short whist five points are game.
 5. Card Playing In some games, a point credited on the score to the player whose cards counts up the highest.
 6. A scheme or art employed in the pursuit of an object or purpose; method of procedure; projected line of operations; plan; project.
    Your murderous game is nearly up.   --Blackw. Mag.
    It was obviously Lord Macaulay's game to blacken the greatest literary champion of the cause he had set himself to attack.   --Saintsbury.
 7. Animals pursued and taken by sportsmen; wild meats designed for, or served at, table.
    Those species of animals . . . distinguished from the rest by the well-known appellation of game.   --Blackstone.
 Confidence game. See under Confidence.
 To make game of, to make sport of; to mock.


 confidence game
      n : a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a
          person to buy worthless property [syn: bunco, {bunco
          game, bunko, bunko game, con, confidence trick,
          con game, gyp, hustle, sting, flimflam]