machination

  • 1machination — [ maʃinasjɔ̃ ] n. f. • XIIIe; de machiner ♦ Ensemble de menées secrètes, plus ou moins déloyales. ⇒ agissements, complot, 1. manœuvre, ruse. Ténébreuses, diaboliques machinations. Être l auteur, la victime d une machination. ● machination nom… …

    Encyclopédie Universelle

  • 2Machination — Mach i*na tion, n. [L. machinatio: cf. F. machination.] 1. The act of machinating. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. That which is devised; a device; a hostile or treacherous scheme; an artful design or plot. [1913 Webster] Devilish machinations come to… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3machination — I noun artful dodge, artifice, cabal, collusion, conspiracy, contrivance, covin, crafty design, crafty device, crafty plan, design, dodge, dolus, foul play, intrigue, jugglery, machina, maneuver, manipulation, plot, ploy, ruse, scheme, stratagem …

    Law dictionary

  • 4machination — (n.) late 15c., a plotting, intrigue, from O.Fr. machinacion plot, conspiracy, scheming, intrigue, from L. machinationem (nom. machinatio) device, contrivance, machination, noun of action from pp. stem of machinari contrive skillfully, to design; …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 5machination — Machination. s. f. v. Action par laquelle on dresse des embusches à quelqu un pour le surprendre. La machination fut descouverte …

    Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • 6Machination — (lat.), hinterlistiges Treiben; geheime Ränke; machinieren, Ränke schmieden …

    Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • 7Machination — Machination, lat. dtsch., Anstiftung, das Ränkeschmieden; machiniren, anstiften, durch Ränke zu Stande bringen …

    Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • 8machination — intrigue, conspiracy, *plot, cabal Analogous words: *trick, ruse, stratagem, maneuver, gambit, ploy, artifice, feint, wile …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 9machination — meaning ‘scheming, laying plots’, is pronounced mak i nay shǝn or mash i nay shǝn …

    Modern English usage

  • 10machination — [n] maneuver, plot artifice, cabal, conspiracy, design, device, dirty work*, dodge*, intrigue, monkey business*, on the make*, ploy, practice, ruse, scheme, sellout, skullduggery*, song and dance*, stratagem, trick; concept 660 …

    New thesaurus