Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Deception \De*cep"tion\, n. [F. d['e]ception, L. deceptio, fr.
   decipere, deceptum. See {Deceive}.]
   1. The act of deceiving or misleading. --South.

   2. The state of being deceived or misled.

            There is one thing relating either to the action or
            enjoyments of man in which he is not liable to
            deception.                            --South.

   3. That which deceives or is intended to deceive; false
      representation; artifice; cheat; fraud.

            There was of course room for vast deception.
                                                  --Motley.

   Syn: {Deception}, {Deceit}, {Fraud}, {Imposition}.

   Usage: Deception usually refers to the act, and deceit to the
          habit of the mind; hence we speak of a person as
          skilled in deception and addicted to deceit. The
          practice of deceit springs altogether from design, and
          that of the worst kind; but a deception does not
          always imply aim and intention. It may be undesigned
          or accidental. An imposition is an act of deception
          practiced upon some one to his annoyance or injury; a
          fraud implies the use of stratagem, with a view to
          some unlawful gain or advantage.

Source : WordNet®

deception
     n 1: a misleading falsehood [syn: {misrepresentation}, {deceit}]
     2: the act of deceiving [syn: {deceit}, {dissembling}, {dissimulation}]
     3: an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers
        [syn: {magic trick}, {conjuring trick}, {trick}, {magic},
        {legerdemain}, {conjuration}, {illusion}]