The present participle of cabal; engaging in secret plotting or forming a small group conspiring together.
From 'cabal,' which comes from Hebrew 'qabbalah' and entered English via French and Italian in the 17th century, originally meaning hidden knowledge but evolved to mean secret conspiracy.
The word 'cabal' became especially notorious during the reign of King Charles II, when his inner circle of advisors (with initials spelling C-A-B-A-L) were literally called 'The Cabal'—history's most famous acronym!
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