cabal

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: ca=bal

CIDE DICTIONARY

cabal, n. [F. cabale cabal, cabala, LL. cabala cabala, fr. Heb. qabbālēh reception, tradition, mysterious doctrine, fr. qābal to take or receive, in Piël qibbel to adopt (a doctrine).].

•  Tradition; occult doctrine. See Cabala.  Hakewill.  [1913 Webster]
•  A secret.  B. Jonson.  [1913 Webster]
•  A number of persons united in some close design, usually to promote their private views and interests in church or state by intrigue; a secret association composed of a few designing persons; a junto.  [1913 Webster]

  "It so happend, by a whimsical coincidence, that in 1671 the cabinet consisted of five persons, the initial letters of whose names made up the word cabal; Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale. Macaulay."  Macaulay.  [1913 Webster]
•  The secret artifices or machinations of a few persons united in a close design; intrigue.  [1913 Webster]

  "By cursed cabals of women."

Syn. -- Junto; intrigue; plot; combination; conspiracy.

cabal, v. i. [Cf. F. cabaler.].

 To unite in a small party to promote private views and interests by intrigue; to intrigue; to plot.  [1913 Webster]
"Caballing still against it with the great."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

cabal, n.
1 a secret intrigue.
2 a political clique or faction.
3 hist. a committee of five ministers under Charles II, whose surnames happened to begin with C, A, B, A, and L.

Etymology

F cabale f. med.L cabala, CABBALA

THESAURUS

cabal

Anschluss, addition, affiliation, age group, agglomeration, aggregation, agreement, alliance, amalgamation, artifice, assimilation, association, band, battalion, bevy, blend, blending, body, brigade, bunch, cadre, camarilla, cartel, cast, caucus, cell, centralization, charmed circle, circle, clan, clique, closed circle, club, coalescence, coalition, cohort, collusion, combination, combine, combo, company, complement, complicity, complot, composition, confederacy, confederation, congeries, conglomeration, conjugation, conjunction, connivance, connive, consolidation, conspiracy, conspire, contingent, contrivance, contriving, corps, coterie, counterplot, covey, covin, crew, crowd, deep-laid plot, detachment, detail, division, ecumenism, elite, elite group, embodiment, encompassment, engineering, enosis, faction, federalization, federation, finagling, finesse, fleet, frame-up, fusion, game, gang, group, grouping, groupment, hookup, in-group, inclusion, incorporation, ingroup, inner circle, integration, intrigue, junction, junta, junto, league, little game, machinate, machination, maneuvering, manipulation, marriage, meld, melding, merger, mob, movement, out-group, outfit, pack, package, package deal, party, peer group, phalanx, platoon, plot, plotting, posse, regiment, rigging, ring, salon, scheme, schemery, scheming, set, solidification, squad, stable, stratagem, string, syncretism, syndication, syneresis, synthesis, team, tie-up, tribe, trick, troop, troupe, underplot, unification, union, unit, we-group, web of intrigue, wedding, wing, wire-pulling

ROGET THESAURUS

cabal

Plan

N plan, scheme, design, project, proposal, proposition, suggestion, resolution, motion, precaution, deep- laid plan, system, organization, germ, sketch, skeleton, outline, draught, draft, ebauche, brouillon, rough cast, rough draft, draught copy, copy, proof, revise, drawing, scheme, schematic, graphic, chart, flow chart (representation), forecast, program, programme, prospectus, carte du pays, card, bill, protocol, order of the day, list of agenda, bill of fare, base of operations, platform, plank, slate, ticket, role, policy, contrivance, invention, expedient, receipt, nostrum, artifice, device, pipelaying, stratagem, trick, alternative, loophole, shift, last shift, measure, step, stroke, stroke of policy, master stroke, trump card, court card, cheval de bataille, great gun, coup, coup d'etat, clever stroke, bold stroke, good move, good hit, good stroke, bright thought, bright idea, intrigue, cabal, plot, conspiracy, complot, machination, subplot, underplot, counterplot, schemer, schemist, schematist, strategist, machinator, projector, artist, promoter, designer, conspirator, intrigant, planned, strategic, strategical, planning, prepared, in course of preparation, under consideration, on the tapis, on the carpet, on the floor.

Party

N party, faction, side, denomination, communion, set, crew, band, horde, posse, phalanx, family, clan, team, tong, council, community, body, fellowship, sodality, solidarity, confraternity, familistere, familistery, brotherhood, sisterhood, knot, gang, clique, ring, circle, group, crowd, in-crowd, coterie, club, casino, machine, Tammany, Tammany Hall, corporation, corporate body, guild, establishment, company, copartnership, partnership, firm, house, joint concern, joint-stock company, cahoot, combine, trust, society, association, institute, institution, union, trades union, league, syndicate, alliance, Verein, Bund, Zollverein, combination, Turnverein, league offensive and defensive, alliance offensive and defensive, coalition, federation, confederation, confederacy, junto, cabal, camarilla, camorra, brigue, freemasonry, party spirit, Confederates, Conservatives, Democrats, Federalists, Federals, Freemason, Knight Templar, Kuklux, Kuklux Klan, KKK, Liberals, Luddites, Republicans, Socialists, Tories, Whigs staff, dramatis personae, in league, in partnership, in alliance, bonded together, banded together, linked, joined together, embattled, confederated, federative, joint, hand in hand, side by side, shoulder to shoulder, en masse, in the same boat.