dummy
an imitation, representation, or copy of something, such as for display, testing, or use as a stage prop: On the counter was a display of lipstick dummies made of colored plastic.This slide presentation is just a dummy to try out the template I made.
a representation of a human figure for displaying or fitting clothes; mannequin: When I put the dress on the dummy to pin the hem, I saw a few spots where it wasn't quite symmetrical.
Informal. a stupid person; dolt: Only a dummy would fall for that scam.
a person who has nothing to say or who takes no active part in affairs: I was on the board only as a dummy, signing what the other directors told me to.
someone or something put forward with the appearance of acting independently while secretly acting for people who do not appear to be involved: The property deed was in her name, but she was only a dummy for a labor trafficking ring.
Slang.
Older Use: Offensive. a person who is not able to speak.
a person who is characteristically and habitually silent.
Bridge.
the declarer's partner, whose hand is exposed and played by the declarer.
the hand of cards so exposed.
a game so played.
an imaginary player represented by an exposed hand that is played by and serves as partner to one of the players.
Chiefly British. pacifier (def. 2).
Printing. sheets folded and made up to show the size, shape, form, sequence, and general style of a contemplated piece of printing: We’ll be using better quality paper than you see in this dummy.
a rammer for pushing out dents in lead pipe.
Computers. an artificial address, instruction, or other piece of data fed into a computer only to fulfill prescribed conditions and not affecting operations for solving problems.
Military. a nonexplosive bomb used for practice exercises.
Sports. a completed or feigned throw, pass, shot, etc., intended to mislead an opponent (also used attributively): He threw a dummy to shake off his blocker and create just enough space to fire a shot into the net.The defending player was completely sidetracked by the dummy pass, allowing us to score.
Dentistry. pontic.
being or relating to an imitation, representation, or copy: Some businesses use dummy cameras along with a few live ones to deter thieves.
performed as a trial or practice run: We played a dummy round to learn the rules of the game without counting points.
counterfeit; sham; fictitious: One group in the study took one tablet of the drug daily, while the other group was given dummy pills.He created a few dummy friends on his page to make it look like he had more.
put forward or set up with the appearance of acting independently while secretly acting for people who do not appear to be involved: Two city councilors formed a dummy construction company so they could pay themselves inflated prices for the work done.
Cards. played with a partner whose hand is exposed.
Printing. to prepare a blank or empty test copy of (often followed by up): The designer dummied up the book so we could study the format.
to represent in a test copy or version (often followed by in): We dummied in a few illustrations to show the proposed layout for the homepage.
Sports.
to pretend to make or receive (a throw, pass, etc.) in order to mislead one’s opponent: The forward dummied the free kick before it reached his teammate, who immediately scored.
to mislead (an opponent) in this way: She dummied her tackler before firing a low shot past the defense.
Sports. to pretend to make or receive a throw, pass, etc.: He dummied and then threw to another player.
dummy up, Informal. to keep silent; refuse to answer: If anybody asks you, just dummy up.
Origin of dummy
1usage note For dummy
Words Nearby dummy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use dummy in a sentence
On Friday, she appeared in court as Ann Marie Miller, again proving herself to be no dummy and decidedly different.
The Mystery Woman Who Tried to Outdo Dillinger | Michael Daly | September 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhat did you use as the hammer during that kill scene, and were you just hitting a dummy that spurted blood out?
Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington on Jon Snow’s Heroism and Loss in the Battle of Castle Black | Marlow Stern | June 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSomebody (a monk, I presume) has put a dummy dressed in a guard's uniform inside.
Pablo Escobar’s Private Prison Is Now Run by Monks for Senior Citizens | Jeff Campagna | June 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn a sermon on Sunday, the chair of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP called Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) "a dummy."
It was a Pakistani agenda, and we played the role of the dummy.
Fix up a couple of dummy sacks, you know, and get them to camp and packed on the horse without letting them see what's inside.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairWhen the first card has been led, dummy's hand is exposed, never before the lead.
When a spade declaration has been made by dummy, one trump less is necessary and the doubler need not be on the declarer's left.
The highest of a sequence led through dummy will frequently tell the third player that he has a good finesse.
The dealer makes the declaration or passes it to his dummy to make by the same rules as in three-handed or dummy bridge.
British Dictionary definitions for dummy
/ (ˈdʌmɪ) /
a figure representing the human form, used for displaying clothes, in a ventriloquist's act, as a target, etc
a copy or imitation of an object, often lacking some essential feature of the original
(as modifier): a dummy drawer
slang a stupid person; fool
derogatory, slang a person without the power of speech; mute
informal a person who says or does nothing
a person who appears to act for himself while acting on behalf of another
(as modifier): a dummy buyer
military a weighted round without explosives, used in drill and training
bridge
the hand exposed on the table by the declarer's partner and played by the declarer
the declarer's partner
a prototype of a proposed book, indicating the general appearance and dimensions of the finished product
a designer's layout of a page indicating the positions for illustrations, etc
a feigned pass or move in a sport such as football or rugby
British a rubber teat for babies to suck or bite on: US and Canadian equivalent: pacifier
(modifier) counterfeit; sham
(modifier) (of a card game) played with one hand exposed or unplayed
to prepare a dummy of (a proposed book, page, etc)
Also: sell someone a dummy sport to use a dummy pass in order to trick (an opponent)
Origin of dummy
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for dummy
In a corporation, one who stands in for a real director or who serves as a nominal director during the organization of the corporation until the stockholders can elect directors.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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