shyster

Meanings

1. Someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics.

1. To act in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics.
2. To exploit (someone or something) in this way.

Etymology

US origin, 19th century. The etymology of the word is not generally agreed upon. The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as "of obscure origin," possibly deriving from a historical sense of shy meaning "disreputable", equivalent to shy + -ster. Other sources suggest the word derives from shicer, from the German Scheißer (“incompetent worthless person”), from scheißen (“to defecate”), probably influenced by -ster. Not related to shylock.