以其人之道，还治其人之身

以其人之道，還治其人之身
yǐqírénzhīdào,huánzhìqírénzhīshēn
  1. to use an opponent's own methods to obtain retribution (idiom, from Song dynasty neo-Confucianist Zhu Xi 朱熹 Zhū Xī)
  2. to get revenge by playing sb back at his own game; to give sb a taste of his own medicine

CEDICT

Entry Composition

=1 以 yǐ old variant of 以 yǐ
=1 以 yǐ old variant of 以 yǐ
=1 以 yǐ
  1. to use
  2. by means of
  3. according to
  4. in order to
  5. because of
  6. at (a certain date or place)
2 其人 qírén that person; the person in question
3 之 zhī
  1. (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的 de)
  2. him
  3. her
  4. it
4 道 dào
  1. (bound form) way; reason; principle
  2. (bound form) a skill; an art; a specialization
  3. (Daoism) the Way; the Dao
  4. to say (introducing a direct quotation, as in a novel)
  5. (bound form) to express; to extend (polite words)
  6. classifier for long thin things (rivers, cracks, shadows etc), barriers (walls, doors etc), questions (in an exam etc), commands, courses in a meal, steps in a process
  7. (old) circuit (administrative division)

classifiers: 條, 股
5 还 huán
  1. to pay back
  2. to return
6 治 zhì
  1. to rule
  2. to govern
  3. to manage
  4. to control
  5. to harness (a river)
  6. to treat (a disease)
  7. to wipe out (a pest)
  8. to punish
  9. to research
7 其人 qírén that person; the person in question
8 之 zhī
  1. (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的 de)
  2. him
  3. her
  4. it
9 身 shēn
  1. body
  2. life
  3. oneself
  4. personally
  5. one's morality and conduct
  6. the main part of a structure or body
  7. pregnant
  8. classifier for sets of clothes: suit, twinset
  9. Kangxi radical 158