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cloak-and-dagger. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
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English
Etymology
Calque of French de cape et d’épée (“of the cloak and the sword”); first attested 1840. The French term referred to a genre of drama in which the main characters wore cloaks and had swords. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used the “cloak and sword” term in 1840, whereas Charles Dickens preferred “cloak and dagger” a year later.
Adjective
cloak-and-dagger
- Marked by menacing furtive secrecy, often with a melodramatic tint or espionage involved.
- Synonyms: covert, clandestine, undercover; see also Thesaurus:covert
2009 February 18, Philip Sherwell, Dina Kraft, “Israel wages cloak-and-dagger war on Iran”, in The Age:Israel wages cloak-and-dagger war on Iran [headline]
Translations
marked by menacing furtive secrecy
See also