Word forms: nounplural -kosWord forms: verb-koed, -koing informal
noun
1.
a swindle in which a person is cheated at gambling, persuaded to buy a nonexistent, unsalable, or worthless object, or otherwise victimized
2.
any misrepresentation
transitive verb
3.
to victimize by a bunko
Also: bunco
Word origin
[1880–85; shortened form of bunkum; cf. -o]This word is first recorded in the period 1880–85. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: barnstorm, highball, interface, irredentist, quotation mark-o is a suffix occurring as the final element in informal shortenings of nouns (ammo; combo; condo; limo; promo); -o also forms nouns, usually derogatory, for persons or things exemplifying or associatedwith that specified by the base noun or adjective (cheapo; pinko; sicko; weirdo; wino)