dupe
UK[djuːp]US[duːp]
n
A person who is easily deceived or tricked.
v
To deceive or trick someone.
Etymology
The word 'dupe' entered English in the late 17th century from the French 'dupe', meaning a deceived person. The French term likely originated from the phrase 'de huppe', meaning 'of the hoopoe bird', a bird considered foolish and easily caught in European folklore. This metaphorical link between a gullible bird and a gullible person traveled directly into English, solidifying the modern abstract meaning of one who is easily deceived. The verb form developed naturally from the noun, following the common pattern of zero-derivation in English.
Analysis
The word 'dupe' is a simplex loanword from French. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
The con artist saw the tourist as an easy dupe.
They managed to dupe him into buying a fake painting.
He felt like a complete dupe for falling for the email scam.