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Added 9 October 2026

decoy

/ˈdiːkɔɪ/ noun

In Latin: illex Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about decoy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A person or object meant to lure somebody into danger.
A real or fake animal used by hunters to lure game.
Deceptive military device used to draw enemy attention or fire away from a more important target.

verb

To lead into danger by artifice; to lure into a net or snare; to entrap.
to decoy troops into an ambush; to decoy ducks into a net
To act as, or use, a decoy.
As they were being decoyed, the rescue team carried the hostage and quietly slipped away.

Origin

From Dutch de + kooi, literally "the cage". Possibly related to verb coy (which itself may have been influenced by decoy).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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