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