simon
simon Lexical Profile
• noun
A gullible, credulous, or simple-minded person who is easily deceived or cheated (informal or archaic).
"The street peddler looked for a gullible simon in the crowd to buy his counterfeit watch."
British A sixpence coin (historical British slang).
"The tavern keeper demanded a silver simon before pouring another tankard of ale."
American A one-dollar coin or one dollar (historical American slang).
"The carnival barker charged a single simon for admission to the sideshow tent."
• Rhymes for simon
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the masculine given name Simon, tracing back to the Hebrew Shim'on ('he has heard') and Greek Simōn ('flat-nosed'). The common noun sense meaning a gullible fool arose in the late 18th century from the traditional English nursery rhyme character Simple Simon.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.