complot

1 of 2

noun

com·plot ˈkäm-ˌplät

archaic

: plot, conspiracy

complot

2 of 2

verb

com·plot kəm-ˈplät

käm-

complotted; complotting; complots

archaic

: plot

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Middle French, "accord, arrangement, plot," going back to Old French, "crowd, press, meeting, company," of obscure origin

Note: Compare also medieval Picard conploit "understanding among a group of people, agreement," complote "crowd, press of combatants in a battle." Französisches etymologisches Wörterbuch points to a substitution of pelote "ball (as of yarn, ribbon, etc.)" for complote in a manuscript of the twelfth century Roman d'Alixandre and suggests that behind complote is a hypothetical *compeloter "to form into a ball"—however, evidence for such a verb is lacking.

Verb

borrowed from Middle French comploter, derivative of complot "accord, arrangement, plot" — more at complot entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1577, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1579, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of complot was in 1577

See more words from the same year