mulct

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

mulct, n. [L. mulcta, multa.].

•  A fine or penalty, esp. a pecuniary punishment or penalty.  [1913 Webster]
•  A blemish or defect.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Amercement; forfeit; forfeiture; penalty.

mulct, v. t. [L. mulctare, multare.].

•  To punish for an offense or misdemeanor by imposing a fine or forfeiture, esp. a pecuniary fine; to fine.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, to deprive of; to withhold by way of punishment or discipline.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

mulct, v. & n.
--v.tr.
1 extract money from by fine or taxation.
2 a (often foll. by of) deprive by fraudulent means; swindle. b obtain by swindling.
--n. a fine.

Etymology

earlier mult(e) f. L multa, mulcta: (v.) through F mulcter & L mulctare

THESAURUS

mulct

amerce, amercement, beat, beguile of, bilk, bleed, bunco, burn, cheat, chisel, chouse, chouse out of, claim, cog, cog the dice, con, cozen, crib, damages, defraud, demand, diddle, distrain, distraint, distress, do in, do out of, escheat, escheatment, estreat, euchre, exact, finagle, fine, flam, fleece, flimflam, fob, forfeit, forfeiture, fudge, gouge, gull, gyp, have, hocus, hocus-pocus, levy a distress, milk, pack the deal, penalty, pigeon, practice fraud upon, require, rook, scam, sconce, screw, sell gold bricks, shave, shortchange, stack the cards, stick, sting, sweat, swindle, take a dive, thimblerig, throw a fight, victimize

ROGET THESAURUS

mulct

Stealing

VB steal, thieve, rob, mug, purloin, pilfer, filch, prig, bag, nim, crib, cabbage, palm, abstract, appropriate, plagiarize, convey away, carry off, abduct, kidnap, crimp, make off with, walk off with, run off with, run away with, spirit away, seize, plunder, pillage, rifle, sack, loot, ransack, spoil, spoliate, despoil, strip, sweep, gut, forage, levy blackmail, pirate, pickeer, maraud, lift cattle, poach, smuggle, run, badger, bail up, hold up, stick up, bunco, bunko, filibuster, swindle, peculate, embezzle, sponge, mulct, rook, bilk, pluck, pigeon, fleece, defraud, obtain under false pretenses, live by one's wits, rob Peter to pay Paul, borrow of Peter to pay Paul, set a thief to catch a thief, disregard the distinction between meum and tuum, fence, launder, launder money.

Penalty

N penalty, retribution, pain, pains and penalties, weregild, wergild, peine forte et dure, penance, the devil to pay, fine, mulct, amercement, forfeit, forfeiture, escheat, damages, deodand, sequestration, confiscation, premunire, doomage.

VB fine, mulct, amerce, sconce, confiscate, sequestrate, sequester, escheat, estreat, forfeit.