trick-or-treatv.
/ˌtrɪkɔːˈtriːt/, U.S. /ˌtrɪkərˈtrit/, /ˈtrɪkərˌtrit/, Canadian English /ˌtrɪkərˈtrit/ Originally North American.
1. intransitive. Usually of a child: to go from door to door at Halloween, asking for sweets or candy with the words ‘trick or treat’, typically while wearing a themed costume; to engage in trick-or-treating.Originally and sometimes with the implication that anyone not providing sweets, or other treats, would be subjected to a prank or practical joke.On the history and spread of this and related terms, see note at trick or treat int.
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1943 Amplifier (West Linn High School, Oregon) 22 Oct. 2/2 Trick or treating out with the gang, Gates mournfully creaking with a bang, Bony skeletons in closets hang—Halloween in America.
1975 Jrnl.-News (Rockland County, N.Y.) 1 Nov. 3 a/3 More than a thousand Rockland county children..trick-or-treated and marched in Halloween parades.
2012 M. G. Milam Haunted House Kid (e-book, accessed 28 July 2020) xxx. 79 Even though Alex considered himself too old to trick-or-treat,..[he] liked to celebrate the event dressed up in a costume.
2. transitive. Usually of a child: to ask (a person) for sweets or candy at Halloween by saying ‘trick or treat’; to visit (a house or neighbourhood) asking for sweets in this way.
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1944 Rhinelander (Wisconsin) Daily News 1 Nov. 2/3 Householders got ‘trick-or-treated’ out of their supplies of fruit and candies, a few windows were soaped.., and the city came through another Hallowe'en night comparatively unscathed.
1970 Alamogordo (New Mexico) Daily News 5 Nov. 8/1 Their cousin..went to see them and trick-or-treated them through the window, so they had a real nice Hallowe'en.
2010 R. Maggio et al. Pieces of Eight (e-book, accessed 28 July 2020) iii. 76 Sometimes we trick-or-treated the entire neighborhood, sneaked back into the basement, changed costumes, and went around again.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2020; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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v.1943