malengine

Evil intent, bad intention; fraud, deceit.

Noun

  1. Evil intent, bad intention; fraud, deceit.
    • But the chaſte damzell, that had neuer priefe / Of ſuch malengine and fine forgerye, / Did eaſely beleeue her ſtrong extremitye. - 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John...
    • […]for when the Protectors Brother, Lord Sudley, the Admirall through private malice and mal-engine was to lose his life, no man could bee found fitter than Bishop Latimer[…]to divulge in his Sermon the forged...

Origin

From Middle English male engyn, male engyne, from Anglo-Norman mal engin, Middle French mal engin, from mal (“bad, evil”) + engin (“ruse; trickery; deception”).