COLLUSION

PRONUNCIATION: (kuh-LOO-zhuhn)

MEANING: noun: A secret cooperation for fraud, treason, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin colludere (to play together, to conspire), from col- (with) + ludere (to play), from ludus (play). Ultimately from Indo-European root leid- (to play), which also gave us allude, delude, elude, illusion, ludicrous, Ludo, ludic, and prelude. Earliest documented use: 1397.

NOTES: From the literal meaning “to play together” to the current meaning “to conspire”, this word has gone to the wrong side of town. But it’s not the only one. The word conspire means, literally, “to breathe together”, meaning to be in harmony. We shouldn’t insist that because a word’s origin means so-and-so, the word should mean the same today any more than that because a person is born into a distinguished family he must be a fine person.
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COLLES ION - a charged fracture of the distal end of the forearm

COLLUS ICON - the image representing the Collus Corporqtion

COL-FUSION - the Holy Grail of the End-Fossil-Fuel-Dependence coalition