cabal

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A conspiratorial group of plotters or intriguers: "Espionage is quite precisely it—a cabal of powerful men, working secretly” ( Frank Conroy).
2. n. A secret scheme or plot.
3. v. To form a cabal; conspire.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The cabala (which see).
2. n. A secret.
3. n. Conjoint intrigue; secret artifices of a few persons united in some design: as, “curs'd cabals of women,”
4. n. A number of persons united in some close design, usually to promote their private views in church or state by intrigue; a junto. The name of “the Cabal” was given to an unpopular ministry of Charles II., consisting of Clifford, Ashley, Buckingham, Arlington, and Lauderdale, the initials of whose names happened to compose the word.
5. n. Synonyms Combination, Party, Faction, Cabal, Camarilla, Junto. Combination is the most general of these words, but it expresses least of permanence in organization; it often denotes the union for special ends of individuals or parties otherwise antagonistic: as, the Democrats and Greenbackers entered into a combination to secure the election. A party is strictly a more close and permanent union of individuals, organized to promote certain principles or common interests which they consider of fundamental importance: as, the Low Church party, the Republican party; but the term is more loosely used where organization is wanting: as, the Free-trade party. Combination and party may express that which is entirely reputable; the other words are chiefly unfavorable in their signification. A faction is commonly a section of a party; it is generally a comparatively small number of individuals, whose principles and objects are often of a captious, frivolous, or selfish nature, but advocated so persistently as to be annoying, and with so little regard to the general interest as sometimes to be dangerous. Cabal and junto express a union less comprehensive than party or even faction; the intrigues of a cabal or junto are usually conducted mainly for the personal aggrandizement of its members. Junto has almost entirely given place to cabal in modern use. A camarilla is a more or less united body of secret counselors of a ruler, acting generally in opposition to his official advisers, and constituting a “power behind the throne.”
6. To form a cabal; intrigue conjointly; unite in secret artifices to effect some design.
7. n. A horse.

Wiktionary

1. n. A usually secret exclusive organization of individuals gathered for a political purpose.
2. n. A secret plot.
3. n. An identifiable group within the tradition of Discordianism.
4. v. To engage in the activities of a cabal

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. obsolete Tradition; occult doctrine. See cabala.
2. n. obsolete A secret.
3. n. 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.
4. n. The secret artifices or machinations of a few persons united in a close design; intrigue.
5. v. To unite in a small party to promote private views and interests by intrigue; to intrigue; to plot.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a plot to carry out some harmful or illegal act (especially a political plot)
2. v. engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together
3. n. a clique (often secret) that seeks power usually through intrigue