A partnership or collaboration, usually used in the phrase 'in cahoots' meaning secretly working together or conspiring.
From French 'cahute' (cabin or hovel), which became slang for a secret meeting place. By the 19th century, Americans transformed it to mean a private partnership or conspiracy. The singular form is rarely used alone; 'cahoots' became standard.
The phrase 'in cahoots' is almost always plural, which is why you never hear someone say 'we're in cahoot'—it's one of those grammatical quirks where the singular and plural have completely different usage patterns, much like 'scissors' or 'jeans.'
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.