decoy

American  

[dee-koi, dih-koi, dih-koi] / ˈdi kɔɪ, dɪˈkɔɪ, dɪˈkɔɪ /

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.

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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 British  

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

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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

Etymology

Origin of decoy

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

Example Sentences

Companies sell decoys, which trail planes or ships, sometimes looking like a missile, and emit signals to confuse adversaries into targeting it instead of its mother ship.

From The Wall Street Journal

Days before Gómez’s transfer in August, special forces left the prison in a convoy of armored vehicles headed to Mexico City as a decoy, passing through areas where Gómez commanded loyal underlings.

From The Wall Street Journal

But there is no evidence that AI can help solve the problem of blocking hundreds of fast-flying warheads embedded in a cloud of decoys.

From Salon

Lawrence has shown he can be that threat but also a decoy runner.

From BBC

Defense Department has placed significantly fewer orders for Alloy Surfaces’ pyrophoric airborne decoys, which the company manufactures in Philadelphia and are used as protection against heat-seeking missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal