scarecrow

[skair-kroh]

noun

1. an object, usually a figure of a person in old clothes, set up to frighten crows crow or other birds away from crops.

2. anything frightening but not really dangerous.

3. a person in ragged clothes.

4. an extremely thin person.

scarecrow

/ ˈskɛəˌkrəʊ /

noun

1. an object, usually in the shape of a man, made out of sticks and old clothes to scare birds away from crops

2. a person or thing that appears frightening but is not actually harmful

3. informal

   1. an untidy-looking person

   2. a very thin person

Other Word Forms

• scarecrowish adjective
• scarecrowy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of scarecrow¹

First recorded in 1545–55; scare + crow ¹

Example Sentences

The scarecrow scenes are klutzy; the reveal of the Tin Man plays like a spoof of Jack Nicholson in “The Shining.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Mr. Plemons, who has slimmed down to scarecrow dimensions to suit a character who has renounced all worldly pleasures, is one of those rare actors who never seem to be acting.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Suddenly, it’s no longer a silhouette in the haze but a scarecrow, shrouded in hay, lurching toward me.

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Mr Tayebwa said he has been engaging farmers to use different deterrent methods like scarecrows to protect their crops from invading cranes.

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Earlier in the telecast, Roan took the stage along with her entourage of western clowns and scarecrow dancers for a performance of “Pink Pony Club,” her anthem celebrating queer nightlife in West Hollywood.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• spectacle