Covin

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkʌvɪn/

Definitions

1. A clandestine pact among individuals aimed at executing dishonest or illegal acts
2. A covert scheme involving multiple people to accomplish treacherous objectives
3. A secret agreement between a group of people to engage in fraudulent or illegal activities

Etymology: The noun "covin" started out as something gentler than a plot. Its Latin ancestor, "convena", meant simply "a meeting" or "a coming together", built from the verb "convenire", "to come together". That verb is also the source of "convene" and "convenient", so the word shares its family with two very ordinary English words. The sense of secret agreement came in through Old French, which took the Latin noun as "covin" and gave it the meaning of a deceitful arrangement between people. A meeting of several parties who have quietly agreed on something underhanded is a short step from a simple gathering, and that step is what the English word preserves. It is a useful reminder that a word for "coming together" can drift, within a single language, into a word for conspiracy.

Synonyms: conspiracy, collusion