" stratagem "

[Noun]  | "strat*a*gem" | \ ˈstra-tə-jəm \

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

Origin: 15th century ;

 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 {mat|stratum|}, {mat|agent|};

[Noun]  | "stratagem"