Adjacent Words

Hugger-mugger definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HUG'GER-MUGGER, n. [Hugger contains the elements of hug and hedge, and mugger, those of smoke.]
In hugger-mugger, denotes in privacy or secrecy, and the word adverbially used, denotes secretly. [It is a low cant word.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: in utter disorder; "a disorderly pile of clothes" [syn: disorderly, higgledy-piggledy, hugger-mugger, jumbled, topsy-turvy]
2: conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods; "clandestine intelligence operations"; "cloak-and-dagger activities behind enemy lines"; "hole-and-corner intrigue"; "secret missions"; "a secret agent"; "secret sales of arms"; "surreptitious mobilization of troops"; "an undercover investigation"; "underground resistance" [syn: clandestine, cloak-and-dagger, hole-and-corner, hugger-mugger, hush-hush, secret, surreptitious, undercover, underground] n
1: a state of confusion; "he engaged in the hugger-mugger of international finance" adv
1: in secrecy; "they did it all hugger-mugger"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1529 1. secrecy 2. confusion, muddle II. adjective Date: 1692 1. secret 2. of a confused or disorderly nature ; jumbled • hugger-mugger adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj., adv., n., & v. --adj. & adv. 1 in secret. 2 confused; in confusion. --n. 1 secrecy. 2 confusion. --v.intr. proceed in a secret or muddled fashion. Etymology: prob. rel. to ME hoder huddle, mokere conceal: cf. 15th-c. hoder moder, 16th-c. hucker mucker in the same sense

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hugger-mugger Hug"ger-mug`ger, n. [Scot. huggrie-muggrie; Prov. E. hugger to lie in ambush, mug mist, muggard sullen.] Privacy; secrecy. Commonly in the phrase in hugger-mugger, with haste and secrecy. [Archaic] Many things have been done in hugger-mugger. --Fuller.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hugger-mugger Hug"ger-mug`ger, a. 1. Secret; clandestine; sly. 2. Confused; disorderly; slovenly; mean; as, hugger-mugger doings.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. (Contemptuous.) 1. Secrecy, privacy. 2. Disorder, confusion, slovenliness. II. a. (Contemptuous.) 1. Secret, clandestine, sly. 2. Mean, unfair, base, contemptible. 3. Confused, disorderly, slovenly.