deep-laid en · ADJ
Meanings
-
(of schemes, usually) secret and carefully planned.
What worried him was the wire-cutting; he could not but believe that it was an important part of the deep-laid labour conspiracy.
1914, Jack London, The Strength of the Strong, The Dream of Debs:Captain Cuttle, in the exercise of that surprising talent for deep-laid and unfathomable scheming, with which (as is not unusual in men of transparent simplicity) he sincerely believed himself to be endowed by nature, […]
1848, Charles Dickens, chapter XVII, in Dombey and Son:'Then why did you make every preparation—turn the Republics into armed camps—prepare deep-laid plans for the invasion of our Colonies?'
1900, Winston Churchill, chapter X, in London to Ladysmith via Pretoria:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more deep-laid | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most deep-laid | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Synonyms
incognito · inconspicuous · surreptitious · stealth · cloak-and-dagger · slinky · clandestine · confidential · under-the-table · huggermugger · stealthy · lurky · deep-laid · sub rosa · concealed · secret · furtive · hush-hush · on the sly · backroom · on the down-low · undercover · secretive · disguised · under wraps · low profile · unperceived · off-the-books · covert · sneaky · obfuscated · underground · dern · catlike · lurksome · mousy · abstruse · backstairs · behind the scenes · sly · under the radar