| n. | 1. | An artifice or trick in war for deceiving the enemy; hence, in general, artifice; deceptive device; secret plot; evil machination. |
| Noun | 1. | stratagem - a maneuver in a game or conversation |
| 2. | stratagem - an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade; "his testimony was just a contrivance to throw us off the track" Synonyms: dodge, contrivance |
STRATAGEM. A deception either by words or actions, in times of war, in order
to obtain an advantage over an enemy.
2. Such stratagems, though contrary to morality, have been justified,
unless they have been accompanied by perfidy, injurious to the rights of
humanity, as in the example given by Vattel of an English frigate, which
during a war between France and England, appeared off Calais and made
signals of distress in order to allure some vessel to come to its relief,
and seized a shallop and its crew, who had generously gone out to render it
assistance. Vattel, Droit des Gens, liv. 3, c. 9, Sec. 178.
3. Sometimes stratagems are employed in making, contracts, this is
unlawful and fraudulent, and avoids the contract. See Fraud.