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Origin and history of deploy

deploy(v.)

1786 as a military word, "extend (troops) in a line, expand (a unit which had been formed in columns)," from French déployer "unroll, unfold," from Old French desploiier "unfold," from Latin displicare "unfold, scatter," from dis- (see dis-) + plicare "to fold" (from PIE root *plek- "to plait"). "In its AFr. form regularly adopted in ME as desplay" [OED]. Figurative use by 1829. Intransitive sense from 1796. Related: Deployed; deploying.

also from 1786

Entries linking to deploy

deployment(n.)

"act of deploying," 1796, from French déploiement, noun of action from déployer (see deploy).

redeploy(v.)

"move (troops or resources) from one area of activity to another," 1945, in reference to U.S. soldiers shifting from Europe to Asia after the fall of Berlin, from re- "again, anew" + deploy. Related: Redeployed; redeploying.

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Trends of deploy

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

fit
c. 1400, "to marshal or deploy (troops);" early 15c. as "be fitting or proper, be suitable," from fit (adj.) and perhaps...
position
late 14c., posicioun, as a term in logic and philosophy, "statement of belief, the laying down of a proposition or thesis," from Old French posicion "position, supposition" (Modern French position) and directly from Latin positionem (nominative positio) "act or fact of placing, s
distribute
early 15c., distributen, "to deal out or apportion, bestow in parts or in due proportion," from Latin distributus, past participle of distribuere "to divide, deal out in portions," from dis- "individually" (see dis-) + tribuere "to pay, assign, grant," also "allot among the tribe
spread
late 12c., spreden, "stretch out, lay out (clothes, hide, etc.); diffuse, disseminate (beams of light, grace);" also, of groups of persons, "advance over a wide area" (intransitive); probably from Old English *sprædan "to spread, stretch forth, extend" (especially in tosprædan "t
play
Middle English pleien, from Old English plegan, plegian "move lightly and quickly, occupy or busy oneself, amuse oneself; engage in active exercise; frolic; engage in children's play; make sport of, mock; perform music." It is from Proto-West Germanic *plegōjanan "occupy oneself
obsequious
late 15c., "prompt to serve, meekly compliant with the will or wishes of another, dutiful," from Latin obsequiosus "compliant, obedient," from obsequium "compliance, dutiful service," from obsequi "to accommodate oneself to the will of another," from ob "after" (see ob-) + sequi
simile
"a comparison of two things in rhetoric or poetry," late 14c., from Latin simile "a like thing; a comparison, likeness, parallel," neuter of similis "like, resembling, of the same kind" (see similar). They must have notable points in common, both things must be mentioned, and the
ordeal
Old English ordel, ordal, "trial by physical test," literally "judgment, verdict," from Proto-Germanic noun *uz-dailjam "a portioning out, judgment" (source also of Old Saxon urdeli, Old Frisian urdel, Dutch oordeel, German urteil "judgment"), literally "that which is dealt out"
renege
1540s, renegue, "deny, renounce, abandon" (archaic), from Medieval Latin renegare, from Latin re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see re-), + negare "to refuse" (from PIE root *ne- "not"). The meaning "change one's mind, go back on (one's word or promise)" is by 1784. OED iden
grace
late 12c., "God's unmerited favor, love, or help," from Old French grace "pardon, divine grace, mercy; favor, thanks; elegance, virtue" (12c., Modern French grâce), from Latin gratia "favor, esteem, regard; pleasing quality, good will, gratitude" (source of Italian grazia, Spanis

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Dictionary entries near deploy
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