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

Explanation

A decoy is a fake version of something used to play a trick or lead you into danger, like the cork duck decoys hunters put on the pond to make the real ducks think it's safe to stop by. Decoy most often refers to bait used for trapping or killing an animal, but it can be any object or plan used to lead someone or something into trouble. Fisherman use worm decoys on their lures to catch fish, just like police use people as undercover decoys to catch criminals. While etymologists aren't positive, they suspect decoy comes from the Dutch kooi, which means “a cage.” So think of luring a mouse into a cage with a big slice of decoy cheese.

Example Sentences

The lawsuit was the result of an undercover investigation into Meta’s platforms that created decoy profiles posing as children aged 14 years and younger.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

CS2 acts as a decoy, drawing alpha-synuclein away from ClpP and preventing it from harming the cell's energy systems.

From Science Daily • Jan. 20, 2026

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

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2025

The plaintiffs before Boasberg clearly recognized that habeas relief was a dangerous decoy even before Monday’s filing.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2025

The wind carried away the sound of the decoy gyropters, which had now disappeared around the flank of the mountain, and no one watching spoke.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman