1825. The English Spy, v. I., p. 161. ‘You’ll excuse me, sir, but as you are fresh, take care to avoid the gulls.’ ‘I never understood that gulls were birds of prey,’ said I. ‘Only in Oxford, sir, and here, I assure you, they bite like hawks.’ Verb (old: now recognised).—To cheat; to dupe; to victimise; to take in (q.v.). in any fashion and to any purpose. 1596. Jonson, Every Man in his Humour, v. This is a mere trick, a device, you are gulled in this most grossly. 1602. Shakspeare, Twelfth Night, ii., 3. Mar. For Monsieur Maluolio, let me alone with him; If I do not gull him into a nayword, and make him a common recreation, do not thinke I haue witte enough to lye straight in my bed; I know I can do it. 1607. Rowlands, Diogenes, his Lanthorne, p. 11 (H. C. Rept. 1873). He promist me good stuffe truly, a great pennyworth indeed, and verily did gull me. 1610. Jonson, Alchemist, v., 2. Hast thou gulled her of her jewels or her bracelets? 1639. Selden, Table Talk, p. 98 (Arber’s ed.). Presbyters have the greatest power of any Clergy in the world, and gull the Laity most. 1778. Sketches for Tabernacle-Frames, p. 25, note. These fanatical Preachers frequently squeeze out Tears to gull their Audience. 1851–61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, I., 472. It’s generally the lower order that he gulls. 1892. Henley and Stevenson, Deacon Brodie, ix. Pay your debts, and gull the world a little longer. Hence Gullible, adj., = easily duped. 1841. Thackeray, Character Sketches, ‘Fashionable Authoress.’ And, gulled themselves, gull the most gullable of publics. Gullage, subs. (old colloquial).—The act of trickery; the state of being gulled. 1605. B. Jonson, Volpone, v., 5. Had you no quirk To avoid gullage, sir, by such a creature? 1611. Chapman, May Day, Act II., p. 284 (Plays, 1874). For procuring you the dear gullage of my sweetheart, Mistress Franceschina. Gull-catcher (or Guller, Gull-sharper, etc.), subs. (old).—A trickster; a cheat. See Gull, senses 1 and 3. 1602. Shakspeare, Twelfth Night, ii., 5. Here comes my noble gull-catcher. Gullery, subs. (old colloquial).—Dupery; fraud; a cheat’s device. Cf., Gullage. 1596. Jonson, Every Man in His Humour, iii., 2. Your Balsamum and your St. John’s wort are all mere gulleries and trash to it. 1608. John Day, Humour out of Breath, Act iv., Sc. 3. I am gulld, palpably gulld ... and mine owne gullery grieves me not half so much as the Dukes displeasure. 1630. Taylor, Works. Neverthelesse, whosoever will but looke into the lying legend of golden gullery, there they shall finde that the poore seduced ignorant Romanists doe imitate all the idolatrous fornication of the heathen pagans and infidels.