Covin (from the
Fr. covine, or
couvine, from
Lat. convenire, to come together), an association of persons, so used in the Statute of Labourers of
1360, which,
inter alia, declared void all alliances and covins of
stonemasons and
carpenters.
The more common use of the term in English law was for a secret agreement between persons to cheat and defraud, but the word is now obsolete, and has been superseded by collusion or conspiracy to cheat and defraud.