fallācĭa, ae (abl. also fallacie, App. M. 5, p. 171), f. [fallax], deceit, trick, artifice, stratagem, craft, intrigue (class.; in Cic. only plur.; syn.: fraus, dolus, astus, astutia, calliditas).
- I. Prop.
- (α) Plur.: nonne ab imis unguibus usque ad verticem summum ex fraude, fallaciis, mendaciis constare totus videtur? Cic. Rosc. Com. 7, 20: doli, machinae, fallaciae, praestigiae, id. N. D. 3, 29, 73: fraudes atque fallaciae, id. Clu. 36, 101: simulatione et fallaciis, id. de Or. 2, 46, 191: sine fuco ac fallaciis, id. Att. 1, 1, 1: quot admoenivi fabricas! quot fallacias! Plaut. Cist. 2, 2, 5.
So in plur., Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 13; 16; 20; id. Mil. 2, 2, 37 et saep.
- (β) Sing.: per malitiam et per dolum et fallaciam, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 15; id. Capt. prol. 40; 46; 2, 1, 25; id. As. 1, 1, 54; 2, 1, 2; 4 al.; Phaedr. 1, 31, 5; 3, 16, 10: ausculta quod superest fallaciae, Ter. Heaut. 4, 5, 23; Suet. Tib. 62; Flor. 1, 16, 7 al.
Of magical art, Prop. 1, 1, 19 al.
Prov.: fallacia alia aliam trudit, one lie begets another, Ter. And. 4, 4, 39.
- II. Of things: haec ipsa res habet aliquam fallaciam, deception, Col. 11, 2, 68: peccati, Vulg. Hebr. 3, 13; cf. id. Matt. 13, 22.