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