in·trigue
(ĭńtrēǵ, ĭn-trēǵ)
[From French intriguer, to plot, from Italian intrigare, to plot, from Latin intrīcāre, to entangle; see intricate.]
noun
- A secret or underhand scheme; a plot.
- The practice of or involvement in such schemes.
- A clandestine love affair.
verb: -trigued, -trigu·ing, -trigues.
intransitive verb
- To engage in secret or underhand schemes; plot.
transitive verb
- To effect by secret scheming or plotting.
- To arouse the interest or curiosity of: Hibernation has long intrigued biologists.
derivatives
- in·trigúer
- noun
- ińtrigúing·ly
- adverb
usage note
Usage Note: The introduction of the verb intrigue to mean “to arouse the interest or curiosity of” was initially resisted by writers on usage as an unneeded French substitute for available English words such as interest, fascinate, or puzzle, but it now appears to be well established. Seventy-eight percent of the Usage Panel accepts it in the sentence The special-quota idea intrigues some legislators, who have asked a Washington think tank to evaluate it, whereas only 52 percent accepted it in a 1968 survey.
