Stratagem - plus, a new word family quiz

[Merriam-Webster]( WORD OF THE DAY [May 9, 2019](#none) stratagem [Audio pronunciation]( noun | STRAT-uh-jum Definition 1 a : an artifice or trick in war for deceiving and outwitting the enemy b : a cleverly contrived trick or scheme for gaining an end 2 : skill in ruses or trickery Scroll down for more about stratagem TRENDING NOW: [contempt]( [held in contempt]( [DEFCON]( [camp]( [SEE ALL [>]]( PEOPLE ARE READING # [Words We're Watching: 'Ambigram']( # [The Difference Between 'Bug,' 'Insect,' and 'Beetle']( # [Dropping Some Truth on 'Windfall']( # [How to Use 'Assent' vs. 'Ascent']( WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE [Name that Thing: Flower Edition]( Can you correctly identify these flowers? [PLAY NOW]( Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try! [TAKE ME THERE [>]]( Did You Know? A stratagem is any clever scheme—sometimes one that's part of an overall [strategy]( (i.e., a carefully worked out plan of action). The word stratagem entered English in the 15th century and was originally used in reference to some [artifice](, such as a military plan or maneuver, which was designed to deceive or outwit the enemy. This military sense can be traced back to the word's Greek ancestor stratēgēma, which is itself based on stratēgein, meaning "to act as a general." Stratēgein, in turn, comes from stratēgos (meaning "general"), which comes from stratos ("camp" or "army") and agein ("to lead"). Stratēgos is an ancestor of strategy as well. Examples of STRATAGEM As a stratagem to get the kids to do their chores, Melissa persuaded them to have a race to see which child could finish first. "Perpetrators always have at their disposal a set of self-exculpatory stratagems that they can use to reframe their actions as provoked, justified, involuntary, or inconsequential." — Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, 2011 Word Family Quiz What 5-letter noun is related to Greek agein and refers to intense pain of mind or body? [VIEW THE ANSWER [>]]( WORDS AT PLAY Wonderful Words That You're Not Using (Yet) Once you learn these rare words, we challenge you to use them in conversation [SEE THE FULL LIST [>]]( MORE WORD FUN: [WORD GAMES [>]]( [TRENDING NOW [>]]( [WORDS AT PLAY [>]]( FOLLOW US: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( SHARE: [Facebook][Facebook]( [Twitter][Twitter]( [View this email in a web browser]( You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. [Unsubscribe from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day]( [Manage your subscription settings]( Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 [www.merriam-webster.com](