brigue

plural brigues

1. obsoleteIntrigue; secretive machinations.

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

   October 9 1749, Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, in Letters to His Son, published in 1774

present singular third person brigues · participle present briguing · participle past brigued · past brigued

1. obsoleteTo achieve or obtain by underhand methods.

   [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, [...]

   1704, [Jonathan Swift], “Section I. The Introduction.”, in A Tale of a Tub. […], London: […] John Nutt, […], →OCLC, page 45

1. French spelling of Brig, Switzerland.

   The main line (Thoune to Brigue) is 52 miles long, while the branch from Spiez to Bönigen is 12¾ miles in length.

   1953 August, J. G. Click, “The Lötschberg Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 512