ploy

A tactic, strategy, or scheme.

Noun

  1. A tactic, strategy, or scheme.
    • Near-synonyms: ruse, stratagem, device
    • The free T-shirt is really a ploy to get you inside to see their sales pitch.
    • 'Bide here,' he says, 'and boil the wine till I return. This is a ploy of my own on which no man follows me.' And there was that in his face, as he spoke, which chilled the wildest, and left them well content to keep to...

    Synonyms: ruse stratagem device

  2. Sport; frolic.
  3. Employment.

Origin

Possibly from a shortened form of employ or deploy. Or from earlier ploye, from Middle English, borrowed from Middle French ployer (compare modern plier), from Latin plicāre.

Forms

ploys

Derived

counterploy ratings ploy Trollope ploy

Verb

  1. To form a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision.
    • Troops drawn up so as to show an extended front, with slight depth, are said to be deployed; when the depth is considerable and the front comparatively small, they are said to be in ployed formation. - 1881, Thomas...

    Antonyms: deploy

Origin

Probably abbreviated from deploy.

Forms

ploys ploying ployed