stratagem
A tactic or artifice designed to gain the upper hand, especially one involving…A tactic or artifice designed to gain the upper hand, especially one involving underhanded dealings or deception.
» The enemy somehow got word of the stratagem.
Meaning
5 senses(countable, uncountable)A tactic or artifice designed to gain the upper hand, especially one involving underhanded dealings or deception.
Near-synonyms: ploy, ruse
Kriegslist, Strategem, Stratagem
уло́вкаulóvka, хи́тростьxítrostʹ, ухищре́ниеuxiščrénije
хитрістьxytristʹ, трюкtrjuk
(countable, uncountable)Specifically, such a tactic or artifice in military operation.
(uncountable)Military deception or artifice.
(uncountable)Cunning and artifice in general.
(countable, obsolete, uncountable)A violent deed.
- an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade
- a maneuver in a game or conversation
Examples
2 sentencesThe enemy somehow got word of the stratagem.
By a daring, but treacherous stratagem, Pizarro got possession of the king, who had come by invitation on a friendly visit.
deMit einer verwegenen, doch heimtückischen List wurde Pizarro des Königs habhaft, der auf Einladung zu einem Freundschaftsbesuch gekommen war. — Yorwba
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English stratageme, from Old French stratageme, from Latin strategema, from AnFrom Middle English stratageme, from Old French stratageme, from Latin strategema, from Ancient Greek στρατήγημα (stratḗgēma, “the act of a general, a piece of generalship”), from στρατηγέω (stratēgéō, “to be a general, command an army”), from στρατηγός (stratēgós, “a general, the leader or commander of an army”). See strategy.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: stratagems| Singular | stratagem |
|---|---|
| Plural | stratagems |
regular
Synonyms
5 synonymsWord family
6 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable