stratagem (n.)

"artifice, trick," late 15c., from Middle French strattegeme, stratagème "trick, especially to outwit an enemy" (15c.), from Italian stratagemma, from Latin strategema "artifice, stratagem," from Greek strategema "the act of a general; military stratagem," from strategein "to be a general, command," from strategos "general" (see strategy). Related: Stratagematic; stratagemical. The second -a- is a Romanic misspelling (compare Spanish estratagema).