CARTEL, noun 1. A writing or agreement between states at war, for the exchange of prisoners, or for some mutual advantage; also, a vessel employed to convey the messenger on this occasion. 2. A letter of defiance or challenge; a challenge to single combat. This sense the word has still in France and Italy; but with us it is obsolete. CARTEL-ship, is a ship employed in the exchange of prisoners, or in carrying propositions to an enemy. CARTEL, verb intransitive To defy.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI