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subterfuge

noun
/ˈsʌbtəɹˌfjuː(d)ʒ/

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French subterfuge m, from Medieval Latin subterfugium n, from Latin subterfugiō (“to flee secretly”), from subter (“under”) and fugiō (“to flee”).

  1. derived from subterfugiō
  2. derived from subterfugium
  3. borrowed from subterfuge

Definitions

  1. An indirect or deceptive device or stratagem

    An indirect or deceptive device or stratagem; a blind. Refers especially to war and diplomatics.

    • Overt subterfuge in a region nearly caused a minor accident.
    • How’s the spy hunt going? Uncovered any subterfuge?
    • But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.

  2. Deception

    Deception; misrepresentation of the true nature of an activity.

    • But in the mean time […] it looks all ſo like ſubterfuge and inveagling; it is ſo nauſeating and teadious a task, that no man thinks he ovvs the Author ſo much ſervice as to find out the reaſon of his ovvn Categoricalneſs for him.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for subterfuge. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA