Etymology Borrowed from Middle French complot (“crowd-, plot”).
1
Archaic A plot (involving more than one person), conspiracy
LOR. Now to confirme the complot thou hast cast Of all these practices, Ile spread the watch, Vpon precise commandement from the king Strongly to guard the place where Pedringano This night shall murder haples Serberine.c. 1582-1592, Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedie, Act 3, Scene 2:
AARON: […] / For I must talk of murders, rapes, and massacres, Acts of black night, abominable deeds, Complots of mischief, treason, villainies, Ruthful to hear, yet piteously perform'd: / […]c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
1 more example
The young advertising agent stood against the fence in silent horror, his heart bumping heavily. His hands were clammy, his feet seemed to have grown larger and taken root. What damnable complot was this?1919, Christopher Morley, “Aubrey Goes to the movies, and Wishes He Knew More German”, in The Haunted Bookshop, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, →OCLC, page 164:
complot
verb
/kəmˈplɒt/
Etymology Borrowed from Middle French complot (“crowd-, plot”).
1
Ambitransitive, Archaic To plot together; conspire.
BOLINGBROKE. […] Besides, I say and will in battle prove, Or here, or elsewhere to the furthest verge That ever was survey'd by English eye, That all the treasons for these eighteen years Complotted and contrived in this land, Fetch from false Mowbray their first head and spring.1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act 1, scene 1]: