noun
Meaning 1
A person or object meant to lure somebody into danger.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
decoy
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK: /ˈdiːkɔɪ/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -iːkɔɪ
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CMU ARPABET: D AH0 K OY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A real or fake animal used by hunters to lure game.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
Deceptive military device used to draw enemy attention or fire away from a more important target.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- 2002, Robotech: Battlecry – Guide and Walkthrough Just every 5 seconds or so shoot out a decoy near the Cats Eye and the enemies will aim for that instead of the Cats Eye.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
An assembly of hooped or netted corridors into which wild ducks may be enticed (originally by tame ducks) and trapped.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To lead into danger by artifice; to lure into a net or snare; to entrap.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- to decoy troops into an ambush; to decoy ducks into a net
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To act as, or use, a decoy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
- As they were being decoyed, the rescue team carried the hostage and quietly slipped away.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
something used to lure fish or other animals into danger so they can be trapped or killed
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bait, lure
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: device
Narrower terms: chum, fisherman's lure, fish lure, ground bait, stool pigeon
noun
Meaning 8
a beguiler who leads someone into danger (usually as part of a plot)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: steerer
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: accomplice, confederate, deceiver, cheat, cheater, trickster, beguiler, slicker
Narrower terms: roper, shill
verb
Meaning 9
lure or entrap with or as if with a decoy
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: entice, lure, tempt
History
Etymology
From Dutch de + kooi, literally "the cage". Possibly related to verb coy (which itself may have been influenced by decoy).
Across languages
Translations
108 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: прима́мка (primámka) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Burmese: ဒလန် (da.lan) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Catalan: esquer — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Catalan: cimbell — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Chinese Mandarin: 引诱物 (yǐnyòuwù) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Chinese Mandarin: 引誘人 /引诱人 (yǐnyòurén) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Chinese Mandarin: 誘餌 /诱饵 (yòu'ěr) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Danish: lokkemad — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Danish: lokkefugl — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Dutch: lokvogel — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Dutch: afleiding — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Finnish: houkutin — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Finnish: houkutuslintu — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- French: leurre — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- French: appât — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Galician: engado — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Galician: reclamo — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Galician: cebo — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- German: Lockvogel — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- German: Köder — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Greek: δόλωμα (dóloma) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Greek: κράχτης (kráchtis) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Hindi: चारा (cārā) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Hindi: प्रलोभन (pralobhan) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Hungarian: csapda — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Italian: esca — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Italian: richiamo — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Japanese: 囮 (otori) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Japanese: 好餌 (kōji) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Latin: illex — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Māori: hunuhunu — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Māori: kaipātari — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Māori: hūhunu — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Polish: przynęta — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Portuguese: chamariz — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Romanian: momeală — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Russian: прима́нка (primánka) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Russian: подсадна́я у́тка (podsadnája útka) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Russian: нажи́вка (nažívka) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Serbo-Croatian: мамац (mamac) — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Spanish: señuelo — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Spanish: carnada — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Spanish: añagaza — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Swedish: lockbete — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Tagalog: kati — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Tagalog: pangati — person or object meant to lure something to danger
- Bulgarian: изку́ствена пти́ца (izkústvena ptíca) — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Chinese Mandarin: 囮子 (ézi) — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Czech: návnada — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Danish: lokkefugl — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Dutch: afleiding — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Finnish: houkutuslintu — animal used by hunters to lure game
- French: leurre — animal used by hunters to lure game
- German: Lockvogel — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Greek: δόλωμα (dóloma) — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Ancient Greek: παλευτής (paleutḗs) — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Hindi: चारा (cārā) — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Hindi: प्रलोभन (pralobhan) — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Hungarian: csalétek — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Hungarian: csali — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Hungarian: csalimadár — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Hungarian: csalikacsa — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Hungarian: lép — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Icelandic: lokkunarfugl — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Italian: zimbello — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Italian: stampo — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Māori: tīmori — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Portuguese: chamariz — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Russian: мано́к (manók) — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Russian: подсадна́я у́тка (podsadnája útka) — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Serbo-Croatian: mamac — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Spanish: señuelo — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Spanish: carnada — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Spanish: cimbel — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Spanish: añagaza — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Swedish: lockfågel — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Swedish: vette — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Turkish: pırlak — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Turkish: çağırtkan — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Turkish: mühre — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Volapük: bätaböd — animal used by hunters to lure game
- Volapük: bätadök — animal used by hunters to lure game
- French: leurre — deceptive military device
- Hungarian: csali — deceptive military device
- Hungarian: csalimadár — deceptive military device
- Italian: diversivo — deceptive military device
- Italian: falso bersaglio — deceptive military device
- Spanish: señuelo — deceptive military device
- Spanish: enza — deceptive military device
- Bulgarian: примамвам (primamvam) — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Danish: lokke — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Dutch: lokken — to act as, or use, a decoy
- French: appâter — to act as, or use, a decoy
- French: leurrer — to act as, or use, a decoy
- French: piéger — to act as, or use, a decoy
- German: ködern — to act as, or use, a decoy
- German: locken — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Greek: δελεάζω (deleázo) — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Ancient Greek: παλεύω (paleúō) — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Hungarian: tőrbe csal — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Hungarian: csapdába csal — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Hungarian: csalogat — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Māori: onga — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Māori: tīmori — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Russian: прима́нивать (primánivatʹ) — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Russian: примани́ть (primanítʹ) — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Ukrainian: прима́нювати (prymánjuvaty) — to act as, or use, a decoy
- Ukrainian: примани́ти (prymanýty) — to act as, or use, a decoy