A number of persons untied in some close design; usually to promote their private views in church or state by intrigue. A junto. It is sometimes synonymous with faction, but a cabal usually consists of fewer men than a party, and the word generally implies close union and secret intrigues. This name was given to the ministry of Charles Il., Clifford, Ashley, Buckingham, Arlington, and Lauderdale, the initials of whose names compose the word.

Intrigue; secret artifices of a few men united in a close design.

Tradition, or a mysterious kind of science among Jewish Rabbins, pretended to have been delivered to the ancient Jews by revelation, and transmitted by oral tradition; serving for the interpretation of difficult passages of scripture. This science consists chiefly in understanding the combination of certain letters, words and numbers, which are alleged to be significant. Every letter, word, number and accent of the law is supposed to contain a mystery, and the cabalists pretend even to foretell future events by the study of this science.

To unite in a small party to promote private views by intrigue; to intrigue; to unite in secret artifices to effect some design.