man of straw

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noun

straw man.

Origin of man of straw

First recorded in 1615–25

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for man of straw

cover, front

Examples from the Web for man of straw

Historical Examples of man of straw

Suppose this man-of-straw, Dingle, gets a judgment and his paltry damages are paidwhat then?
The Boss of Wind River
David Goodger (goodger@python.org)

British Dictionary definitions for man of straw

man of straw

noun

a person of little substance

Also called: straw man mainly US a person used as a cover for some dubious plan or enterprise; front man

a man who cannot be relied upon to honour his financial commitments, esp because of his limited resources

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012