Definition of "brigue"

brigue

/bɹiːɡ/

noun
plural brigues
1. (obsolete) Intrigue; secretive machinations.
  Quotations
  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
verb
third-person singular simple present brigues, present participle briguing, simple past and past participle brigued
1. (obsolete) To achieve or obtain by underhand methods.
  Quotations
  [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, […], page 45