Captures someone's interest or curiosity; or secretly plots or schemes to achieve something.
From French 'intriguer,' derived from Italian 'intrigare'—'in' (in) and 'trica' (trifles/complications). Originally meant to confuse or tangle up, then evolved to mean scheming and plotting.
Intrigues were a defining feature of Renaissance courts like the Medici in Italy—so many secret plots and schemes happened that scholars can barely track all the political machinations that shaped European history.
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