A difficult or intricate situation; an entanglement.
A confused or complicated disagreement.
A confused heap; a tangle.
[Italian, from Old Italian, from imbrogliare, to tangle, confuse : in-, in (from Latin; see in-2) + brogliare, to mix, stir (probably from Old French brooiller, brouiller; see broil2).]
1750, from It. imbroglio, from imbrogliare "confuse, tangle," from in- "in" + brogliare "embroil," probably from M.Fr. brouiller "confuse" (see broil (2)).