ruse
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: ro͞oz
ipa: /ɹuːz/
ipa: /ɹɪu̯z/
rhymes: -uːz
homophone: roos
homophone: rues
Forms: form: ruses
Etymology: From Middle English rūse (“evasive movements of a pursued animal; circuitous course taken by a hunter to pursue a game animal”), from Old French rëuse, ruse (“evasive movements of a pursued animal; trickery”) (modern French ruse (“trick, ruse; cunning, guile”)), from ruser (“to use cunning, to be crafty, beguile”), possibly from Latin rursus (“backward; on the contrary; again, in return”) or Latin recūsāre, from recūsō (“to decline, refuse; to object to, protest, reject”). Doublet of recuse and rouse in the latter case.
The verb is derived from the noun. Compare Middle French ruser (“to use cunning, to be crafty, beguile”); see further above.
Senses: examples: text: The boar was evidently most averse to leave the field in which he had spent so may pleasant hours of uninterrupted rest; […] He turned sharply to one flank; he stopped dead, and went away in the opposite direction as he heard the hunters gallop past; every ruse he tried, but tried in vain.
ref: 1867, J. T. Newall, chapter XVII, in Hog Hunting in the East, and Other Sports, London: Tinsley Brothers, […], →OCLC, pages 367–368:
topics: hobbies
hunting
lifestyle
glosses: A turning or doubling back, especially of animals to get out of the way of hunting dogs.
examples: text: Near-synonyms: ploy, stratagem
text: It must be borne in mind that huntsmen sometimes make casts which they know must lose them their fox: […] At the same time, it would be bad policy to explain these little matters: some parties, who are not sufficiently acquainted with the management of hounds, might be discontented, whereas by such a ruse no offence is given, as nine-tenths of the Field are not aware that it is not the most likely cast to recover the scent.
ref: 1839 November, “Cecil”, “Observations on Hunting, with Comparisons of the Usages of the Past and Present Days”, in The Sporting Magazine, or Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chase and Every Other Diversion Interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprise & Spirit, volume XX (2nd Series; volume XCV, Old Series), number CXV, London: Published by [J.] Pittman, […], published 1840, →OCLC, page 53:
text: He was soon upon his feet, another assegai whistled through the air, and pierced through the neck of the lioness. But, as before, the wound was not fatal, and the animal, now enraged to a frenzy, charged once more upon her assailant. So rapid was her advance that it was with great difficulty Congo got under cover. A moment later, and his ruse would have failed, for the claws of the lion rattled upon the shield as it descended.
ref: 1857, [Thomas] Mayne, “How Congo the Kaffir Killed a Lioness”, in The Young Yägers: Or, A Narrative of Hunting Adventures in Southern Africa, London: David Bogue, […], →OCLC, pages 64–65:
text: I have that strong impression on my mind that a person who is guilty of a ruse will hesitate at no falsehood. If it was a ruse, and if it was a deceit, you are to judge whether that elevates the persons in your mind who are parties to that trick.
ref: 1873 August 7, “Sixty-eighth Day.—Tuesday, August 7th, 1873.”, in [Edward] Kenealy, editor, The Trial at Bar of Sir Roger C. D. Tichborne, Bart., […], volume IV, London: "Englishman" Office, Bouverie Street, Fleet Street, London, published 1877, →OCLC, page 69, column 2:
text: Soon, however, Courvoisier forced matters, when, despairing of ever catching the wily outlaw leader by fair means, he resorted to the ruse of carrying off Friar Tuck of Copmanhurst and holding him as a hostage.
ref: 1922 May, Fred R. Hurworth, “The Alchemist: A Story of the Days of Robin Hood”, in The Boy’s Own Paper, volume XLV, part 7, London: "Boy's Own Paper" Office, […], →OCLC, chapter I, page 474, column 1:
text: Warships, whether surface or submarine, may use ruses and strategems. They may sail under false flags, both enemy and neutral, but before going into action whether at sea or if about to attack a land target they must strike any false colours and raise their own battle colours. It would be perfidy for them to use the red cross or crescent or any other protected emblem in this way.
ref: 1993, L[eslie] C. Green, “Conduct of Hostilities: Maritime”, in The Contemporary Law of Armed Conflict (Melland Schill Monographs in International Law), Manchester; New York, N.Y.: Manchester University Press, →ISBN, page 169:
text: The terminological distinction between reproductive and therapeutic cloning is a semantic ruse, as every instance of human cloning is a true reproducive act. That is to say, the intended purpose of this research is to produce a new human being with human embryonic stem cells.
ref: 2005 November, John R. Meyer, “The Brave New World of Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Utilitarian Consequentialism and Faulty Moral Reasoning”, in Eugene F. Diamond, John J. Brennan, editors, The Linacre Quarterly: Journal of the Catholic Medical Association, volume 72, number 1, Needham, Mass.: Catholic Medical Association, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, footnote 2, page 327:
text: Politics is a dirty business, a ruse, an ideological cul-de-sac, a vast looter of intellectual and financial resources, a lie that corrupts, a deceiver, a means of unleashing vast evil in the world of the most unexpected and undetected sort and the greatest diverter of human productivity ever concocted by those who do not believe in authentic social and economic progress.
ref: 2012 August 12, Anthony Wile (interviewer), Jeffrey Tucker, “Exclusive Interview: Jeffrey Tucker on Laissez Faire Books, Intellectual Property Rights and ‘Beautiful Anarchy’”, in The Daily Bell, archived from the original on 08 Aug 2017:
glosses: An action intended to deceive; a trick.
examples: text: [H]e [Bertrand du Guesclin] had great natural cunning, that half-savage quality, was full of ruse and trick in war, he was contemptuous towards the high noblesse, but gentle to the poor, and generous to his friends.
ref: 1873, G[eorge] W[illiam] Kitchin, “The Deeds of Charles V, ‘the Wise.’ a.d. 1360–1380.”, in A History of France down to the Year 1453 (Clarendon Press Series), Oxford: At the University Press, →OCLC, pages 456–457:
text: A French privateer operating under an English commission raided Massacre Island at the mouth of Mobile Bay in 1710, robbing its warehouse of thousands of deerskins and other pelts, as well as of naval stores. They took the small place by ruse.
ref: 2005, Benerson Little, “Houses, Towns, and Cities Sacked: The Sea Rover as a Soldier”, in The Sea Rover’s Practice: Pirate Tactics and Techniques, 1630–1730, Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books, →ISBN; 1st paperback edition, Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books, 2007, →ISBN, page 190:
glosses: Cunning, guile, trickery.
Related terms: ruse de guerre
recuse