Both Uses of
pretense
in
Ethan Frome
- He roused the lagging bay with another twitch; then, as if the mere sight of the house had let me too deeply into his confidence for any farther pretence of reserve, he went on slowly: "I've always set down the worst of mother's trouble to that.†
Chpt Open *
- He was planning to take advantage of the Hales' sympathy to obtain money from them on false pretences.†
Chpt 8
Definition:
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(pretense) a false appearance or action to help one pretendeditor's notes: This is sometimes seen in the expression "false pretense" or "false pretenses" which is just emphasizing that behavior or actions do not reflect the true situation.