Working together secretly with someone to do something dishonest or against the rules.
From Latin 'colludere,' combining 'col-' (together) and 'ludere' (to play). The 'play' root reflects an idea of secret collaboration, as in a 'game' played behind others' backs.
The word literally means 'playing together'—but it's always applied to deceptive games, revealing how languages often use innocent words to describe guilty actions.
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