木马计 (mù mǎ jì) — the Trojan Horse stratagem (deceptive tactic of infiltration)

Definition

Named after the Trojan Horse of the Trojan War, 木马计 refers to any stratagem that smuggles an enemy inside by hiding them in something harmless — used for infiltration and deception, not just computer viruses.

noun
the Trojan Horse stratagem (deceptive tactic of infiltration)

Examples

  • 木马计，。
    Zhè ge hēi kè yòng de shì mù mǎ jì, xiān jiǎ zhuāng wú hài zài gōng jī xì tǒng.
    This hacker used the Trojan Horse stratagem — first pretending to be harmless, then attacking the system.
  • 木马计。
    Lì shǐ shàng zuì zhù míng de mù mǎ jì jiù shì tè luò yī zhàn zhēng zhōng de mù mǎ.
    The most famous Trojan Horse stratagem in history is the wooden horse in the Trojan War.
  • 木马计，。
    Tā men yòng mù mǎ jì piàn guò le shǒu wèi, chéng gōng jìn rù le chéng bǎo.
    They used the Trojan Horse stratagem to fool the guards and successfully entered the castle.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

木马
木mùwood马mǎhorse
偏正Modifier + head
计jìstratagem

木马 names the wooden horse, and 计 marks the deceptive stratagem built around it.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

木 is drawn as a tree, with branches above and roots below.

Open 木 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

Open 马 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 計; 计 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 計 pairs 言 (say) with 十 (all). The simplified 计 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical shape.

Open 计 →

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