A Ruse Was a Hunted Animal's Doubling Back
A ruse is a trick to deceive. The word comes from hunting, not from warfare.
A ruse is a trick or stratagem intended to deceive. Its origin is a hunting term: Old French *ruser* described the way a hunted deer doubles back on its own tracks to throw off the hounds, and the word named that manoeuvre before it named any human deception. The deer, not the general, invented the ruse. The same French verb probably descends from Latin *recusare*, to refuse or turn back, which also gives English *recuse*.
- A trick. *An elaborate ruse.*
- A deception. *It was all a ruse.*
- Ruse de guerre. *A ruse de guerre.*
- A doubling back. *The original sense.*
- Old French — *ruser*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | ruse | A ruse. |
| Plural | ruses | Ruses. |
| French | ruser | To dodge. |
| Related | recuse | To recuse. |
| Latin | recusare | To refuse. |
- The letter was a ruse.Deception.
- A deer doubles back.Origin.
- A ruse de guerre.Military.
Words for deception
- Ruse — a trick, often elaborate and planned
- Feint — a movement meant to mislead, from *feindre*, to pretend
- Stratagem — a scheme, originally a general's device
- Subterfuge — literally a fleeing beneath, an evasion
- Gambit — a chess opening sacrifice, then any opening move
Old French *ruse*, from *ruser*, to dodge or double back, probably from Latin *recusare*, to refuse.
Where does ruse come from?
From hunting. It named the way a hunted deer doubles back on its tracks to confuse the hounds.
What is a ruse de guerre?
A legitimate trick of war, such as camouflage or a feigned retreat, as opposed to perfidy.