counterploy

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe?

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Italic *kom

Proto-Italic *kom-

Proto-Indo-European *-teros

Proto-Italic *-teros

Proto-Italic *komterosder.

Proto-Italic *komterād

Latin contrāder.

Old French contre-

Anglo-Norman countre-bor.

Middle English counter-

English counter-

English ploy

English counterploy

From counter- + ploy.

Noun

counterploy (plural counterploys)

1. A clever trick used to counteract another clever trick.
   • 1971, William O. Johnson, Super Spectator and the Electric Lilliputians‎^[1], page 114:

     So it goes. Bluff and counterbluff, ploy and counterploy.