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scorched-earth policy
[ skawrcht-urth ]
noun
- a military practice of devastating the property and agriculture of an area before abandoning it to an advancing enemy.
scorched earth policy
noun
- the policy in warfare of removing or destroying everything that might be useful to an invading enemy, esp by fire
- commerce a manoeuvre by a company expecting an unwelcome takeover bid in which apparent profitability is greatly reduced by a reversible operation, such as borrowing at an exorbitant interest rate
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Word History and Origins
Origin of scorched-earth policy1
1935–40; apparently translation of Chinese jiāotǔ zhèngcè
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