decoy

[dee-koi, dih-koi, dih-koi]

noun

1. a person who entices or lures another person or thing, as into danger, a trap, or the like.

2. anything used as a lure.

   Synonyms: allurement, inducement, bait, enticement

3. a trained bird or other animal used to entice game into a trap or within gunshot.

4. an artificial bird, as a painted wooden duck, used for the same purpose.

5. a pond into which wild fowl are lured for capture.

6. an object capable of reflecting radar waves, used as a spurious aircraft, missile, chaff, etc., for the deception of radar detectors.

verb (used with object)

1. to lure by or as if by a decoy.

   They decoyed the ducks to an area right in front of the blind.

verb (used without object)

1. to become decoyed.

   Ducks decoy more easily than most other waterfowl.

decoy

noun

1. a person or thing used to beguile or lead someone into danger; lure

2. military something designed to deceive an enemy or divert his attention

3. a bird or animal, or an image of one, used to lure game into a trap or within shooting range

4. an enclosed space or large trap, often with a wide funnelled entrance, into which game can be lured for capture

5. another word for deke

verb

1. to lure or be lured by or as if by means of a decoy

2. (tr) another word for deke

Other Word Forms

• decoyer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of decoy¹

1610–20; variant of coy (now dial.) < Dutch ( de ) kooi (the) cage, Middle Dutch cōie < Latin cavea cage

Word History and Origins

Origin of decoy¹

C17: probably from Dutch de kooi, literally: the cage, from Latin cavea _cage

Example Sentences

Initial indications suggest the drones fired into Polish airspace last week were Gerbera 'decoy' drones rather than armed ones.

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He said the drones in question appear to be Russian-made cheap, long-range drone Gerberas which can be used as decoys to distract defences as part of Russia's increasing "grey zone actions against Nato".

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"Sometimes a lot of these drones are decoys - without explosives - just to weaken our air defence systems," Mr Musiienko explained.

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The tank in question appears to be a plywood decoy used by the Ukrainian forces to deceive the Russians.

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Several times he was used as a decoy, opening the door for receiver Harrison Carter to show his stuff.

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