cahoot

Etymology

Probably from French cahute. See cahoots.

noun

1. (uncommon) A group of people working together (usually for an illicit purpose)
   Gineral Government and the ministration are going in cahoot to undermine and overrule the undertakings of the free people of Georgia. 1827-09-15, "The Wanderer", “Barney Blinn”, in Norwalk Reporter and Huron Advertiser, Norwalk, OH, page 4
   Nay, we feel so pleasant a humour, at the recovery of the stolen articles, that we are really disposed to extend our forgiveness to the whole "Cahoot," the more particularly, as some of the suspected, have already "suffered in the flesh;" 1831-11-09, Natchez Gazette, Natchez, MS, page 3
2. (uncommon) An accomplice; a partner.
   Fisk and his “cahoots” have got at cross purposes, and he has been put out of bed. Whether Fisk is rightly or wrongly out of bed is not for Congress to determine. 1869, United States Congress, Congressional Globe, page 538
   This particular day he set the scene by arranging with his cahoots to clean up the local operators. 1993, Mick Masson, Surviving the Dole Years: The 1930s, a Personal Story, page 108
   Intelligent and power loving Indraprabha took the advantage and agreed to become his cahoot in return of political supremacy. 2000, Suhas Chatterjee, A Socio Economic History of South Assam, page 98
3. (US, uncommon) A company or partnership.

verb

1. (intransitive) To act in partnership.
   […] argument that we shouldn't be doing it, and if we do we'll fail, and if we succeed, our leaders were lying, tricking and cahooting with Halliburton? Jun 6, 2003, “Thinking Right: Iraq, Clintons”, in Atlanta Journal-Constitution