tactics

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun The study of the most effective ways of securing objectives set by strategy, as in deploying and directing troops, ships, and aircraft against an enemy.
• noun Military actions or maneuvers used against an enemy.
• noun A procedure or set of maneuvers engaged in to achieve an end, an aim, or a goal.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun The science or art of disposing military or naval forces in order for battle, and performing military or naval manœuvers or evolutions.
• noun Expedients for effecting a purpose; plan or mode of procedure with reference to advantage or success; used absolutely, artful or skilful devices for gaining an end.
• noun The art of inventing and making machines for throwing missile weapons.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun The science and art of disposing military and naval forces in order for battle, and performing military and naval evolutions. It is divided into grand tactics, or the tactics of battles, and elementary tactics, or the tactics of instruction.
• noun Hence, any system or method of procedure.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun military The military science that deals with achieving the objectives set by strategy.
• noun military Manoeuvres used against an enemy.
• noun Plural form of tactic.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun the branch of military science dealing with detailed maneuvers to achieve objectives set by strategy
• noun a plan for attaining a particular goal