marionette

[mar-ee-uh-net]

noun

1. a puppet manipulated from above by strings attached to its jointed limbs.

marionette

/ ˌmærɪəˈnɛt /

noun

1. an articulated puppet or doll whose jointed limbs are moved by strings

Word History and Origins

Origin of marionette¹

1610–20; < French marionnette, equivalent to Marion (diminutive of Marie Mary) + -ette -ette

Word History and Origins

Origin of marionette¹

C17: from French, from Marion, diminutive of Marie Mary + _-ette

Example Sentences

When she forced a cheery smile, she took on the appearance of a badly painted marionette.

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My timings, my instincts, the way that I thought, the way I saw it in my head could be expressed through these really high-tech marionettes on a computer.

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“Initially, when I pitched the show I wanted to do an Almodóvar film with marionettes and Adult Swim very wisely said, ‘This is going to create more complications for you,’” he recalls.

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The duo was accompanied by vintage marionettes and their handlers, who played backup dancers in the shapes of jellyfish, cats and aliens.

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Fincher said the hard part was giving the marionettes a feeling of suspension.

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