stratagem

/ˈstra-tə-jəm/

Italian stratagemma, from Latin strategema, from Greek stratēgēma, from stratēgein to be a general, maneuver, from stratēgos general, from stratos camp, army (akin to Latin stratus, past participle, spread out) + agein to lead

noun

  1. an artifice or trick in war for deceiving and outwitting the enemy

  2. a cleverly contrived trick or scheme for gaining an end

  3. skill in ruses or trickery

trick ruse stratagem maneuver artifice wile feint mean an indirect means to gain an end. trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end. ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.