decoy
noun/ˈdiːkɔɪ/
/ˈdiːkɔɪ/
[countable]- an animal or a bird, or a model of one, that attracts other animals or birds, especially so that they can be shot by people who are hunting them
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- a thing or a person that is used to trick somebody into doing what you want them to do, going where you want them to go, etc.
- They were smuggled out of the building in a police decoy operation.
- We need someone to act as a decoy to distract their attention.
Word Originmid 16th cent. (earlier as coy): from Dutch de kooi ‘the decoy’, from Middle Dutch de kouw ‘the cage’, from Latin cavea ‘cage’.
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