cloak-and-dagger

[ klohk-uhn-dag-er ]

adjective

1. pertaining to, characteristic of, or dealing in espionage or intrigue, especially of a romantic or dramatic kind.

cloak-and-dagger

noun

1. modifier characteristic of or concerned with intrigue and espionage

Word History and Origins

Origin of cloak-and-dagger¹

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Now he put his cloak-and-dagger skills to work at the Three Lions, where a state-of-the-art security system and the hotel’s unique triangular shape allowed him to keep a constant eye on anyone approaching the building.

From Literature

It involved allegations of financial impropriety at the top of the Vatican, cloak-and-dagger activity of the kind that has often characterised the secretive world of the Holy See.

From BBC

Jackson’s love of these soaps runs deeper than the cloak-and-dagger plots and mustache-twirling villains.

From New York Times

But maintaining that electrical undercurrent in person was critical; for all the show’s cloak-and-dagger thrills, their characters’ relationship is the beating pulse of the series.

From New York Times

The first tenet is the reason my sister-in-law was being so cloak-and-dagger; she was trying to respect the taboo against spreading bad news.

From Los Angeles Times