1. a false or misleading story published for political effect, especially during an election campaign
Usage: archaic; historical

Examples

• The newspaper published a roorbach claiming the candidate had criminal ties.
• Political opponents spread a roorbach about his military service record.
• The campaign manager warned against believing every roorbach circulated before the election.
• Historians noted that the roorbach influenced public opinion despite being completely false.
• The term roorbach originated from a fictional travel book used in 19th-century American politics.