A cunning plan or clever trick used to gain an advantage or deceive someone.
From French 'ploi' (a fold, a movement), from Old French 'ploier' (to fold or bend). The word originally meant a military maneuver but evolved to mean any clever scheme.
The word 'ploy' comes from military tactics—a 'fold' in formation could trick your enemy into thinking you were weak, so now any deceptive strategy is called a 'ploy,' showing how warfare shaped everyday vocabulary.
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