Subterfuge
Pronunciation : Sub"ter*fuge
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [F., from LL. subterfugium, fr. L. subterfugere to flee secretly, to escape; subter under + fugere to flee. See Fugitive.]
Definition : Defn: That to which one resorts for escape or concealment; an artifice employed to escape censure or the force of an argument, or to justify opinions or conduct; a shift; an evasion. Affect not little shifts and subterfuges, to avoid the force of an argument. I. Watts. By a miserable subterfuge, they hope to render this position safe by rendering it nugatory. Burke.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
Merriam-Webster's Everyday Language Reference Set: Includes: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, and The Merriam-Webster Vocabulary Builder