also intriguant, "man given to intrigue," 1781, from French intrigant "male intriguer," from Italian intrigante, noun use of present participle of intrigare "to plot, meddle" (see intrigue (v.)).
Entries linking to intrigant
intrigue v.
1610s, "to trick, deceive, cheat," from French intriguer (16c.), from Italian intrigare "to plot, meddle; perplex, puzzle," from Latin intricare "to entangle, perplex, embarrass" (see intricate).
Meaning "to plot or scheme" is recorded by 1714. That of "to excite curiosity" is from 1894 (OED calls this use "A modern gallicism"). It also could mean "carry on a clandestine or illicit sexual relationship" (1650s). The word appears earlier in English as entriken "entangle, ensnare; involve in perplexity, embarrass" (late 14c.), from Old French entrique or directly from the Latin verb. Related: Intrigued; intriguer; intriguing. Dutch intrigueren, German intriguiren are from French.