Meanings
plural ruses de guerre
- A stratagem of war.
1 more example
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.
1966, Elena Lourie, “A Society Organized for War: Medieval Spain”, in Past and Present
Origin
- Frenchruse de guerre
- Englishruse de guerre
Unadapted borrowing from French ruse de guerre.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish sotajuoni
- sotajuonistratagem of war
French ruse de guerre
- ruse de guerrestratagem of war
Polish strategia wojenna
- strategia wojennastratagem of war
Swedish krigslist
- krigsliststratagem of war
Ukrainian воєнна хитрість
- воєнна хитрість (vojenna xytristʹ)stratagem of war
Cite this entry
ruse de guerre. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ruse%20de%20guerre
“ruse de guerre.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ruse%20de%20guerre. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ruse de guerre,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ruse%20de%20guerre.
Source: ruse de guerre on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.