Obs. [f. prec., or a. F. brigue-r to contend, intrigue for = It. brigare to brawl, brabble, strive for. But sense 1 appears to be related to BRIKE: see Briga, brica in Du Cange; It. imbrigare ‘to molest, embroil’; also, to entangle, Florio.]

1

  † 1.  trans. To ensnare, trap, beguile. Obs.

2

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 416. Þo fende hafs caste þis snare for to bryge men.

3

1387.  Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. II. 367. Men were so i-briged [Caxton begyled] þat þey couþe nouȝt come out.

4

  2.  intr. To intrigue; to solicit by underhand methods; to canvass. (Chiefly Sc. in 16–18th c.)

5

1588.  A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 109. Then efteruart nother brigued, or desyred, nother violentlie inuaded ye Bishoprick.

6

1706.  Ld. Beilhaven, Sp. in Sc. Parlt., 11. I don’t think any one Post of the kingdom worth the briguing after.

7

1726.  Wodrow, Corr. (1843), III. 270. They are already beginning to brigue and cabal.

8

1760.  Hurd, Mor. & Polit. Dial., 80–1 (L.). I am too proud to brigue for an admission into the latter.

9

  † b.  trans. To obtain by intrigue. Obs.

10

1758.  Sir J. Dalrymple, Ess. Hist. Feudal Prop., 170. Kenneth III. brigued a contrary law from his barons.

11

  Hence Briguing vbl. sb.

12

1704.  Swift, T. Tub, i. By briguing and caballing.

13

1837.  Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. II. V. v. 64. Briguing, intriguing, favouritism … goes on there.

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