To move people or equipment into position so they are ready to be used, especially in the military. More generally, it means to use something effectively for a particular purpose.
From French *déployer* meaning 'to unfold, to spread out', from Latin *dis-* ('apart') and *plicare* ('to fold'). The original sense was of unfolding or arranging troops in position.
The root image is literally 'unfolding'—deployment is taking something packed up and spreading it into action. That’s why tech companies 'deploy' software and armies 'deploy' troops: both are about moving from storage to strategic use.
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