Archaic term for secret, underhand, or clandestine behavior; sneaky or deceptive activity conducted in hiding.
From Middle English, possibly influenced by 'mugger' (variant of 'mugger' meaning to obscure or hide). Related to Scottish 'coggerie' (trickery). The exact derivation is uncertain but suggests concealment.
This wonderful archaic word perfectly captures the sneaky, whispering-in-corners quality of covert activity—the double repetition (cuggery-muggery) gives it an almost conspiratorial sound that makes you think of cloaks and daggers!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.