ruse de guerre

English

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French ruse de guerre.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌɹuːz.dəˌɡɛə/

Noun

ruse de guerre (plural ruses de guerre)

1. A stratagem of war.
   • 1966, Elena Lourie, “A Society Organized for War: Medieval Spain”, in Past and Present:

     When a fire breaks out in the town, the citizens are straitly ordered not to rush to the fire but to the city-gates in order to secure them; and only then may they put out the fire; for, the statues explain, wilful incendiarism is a well-tried ruse de guerre much used by fifth-columnists anxious to let in the enemy.

Related terms

• ruse

Translations

stratagem of war

• Swedish: krigslist (sv) c
• Ukrainian: воєнна хитрість (vojenna xytristʹ)