brigue

Borrowed from French brigue, of uncertain origin. Compare Italian briga, Spanish brega.

• IPA^(key): /bɹiːɡ/
• Rhymes: -iːɡ

brigue (plural brigues)

1. (obsolete) Intrigue; secretive machinations.
   • October 9 1749, Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, in Letters to His Son, published in 1774

     the rise and decay of the Papal power , the politics of that Court , the Brigues of the Cardinals , the tricks of the Conclaves

brigue (third-person singular simple present brigues, present participle briguing, simple past and past participle brigued)

1. (obsolete) To achieve or obtain by underhand methods.
   • 1704, [Jonathan Swift], “Section I. The Introduction.”, in A Tale of a Tub. […], London: […] John Nutt, […], →OCLC, page 45:

     [W]e think it very unbecoming our Prudence, that the Determination ſhould be remitted to the Authors themſelves; when our Adversaries, by Briguing and Caballing, have cauſed so univerſal a Defection from us, that the greater Part of our Society has already deſerted to them, [...]

• Homophones: briguent, brigues

brigue

1. inflection of briguer:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

brigue f (plural brigues)

1. (Jersey) brig

• Hyphenation: bri‧gue

Borrowed from English brig.^[1][2]

brigue m (plural brigues)

1. brig (two-masted vessel)

• brigar

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

brigue

1. inflection of brigar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative