1a model or replica of a human being:a waxwork dummy
a figure used for displaying or fitting clothes:a tailor’s dummy
a ventriloquist’s doll.
2an object designed to resemble and serve as a substitute for the real or usual one:tests using stuffed owls and wooden dummies [as modifier]:a dummy torpedo
British a rubber or plastic teat for a baby to suck on.
a prototype or mock-up, especially of a book or the layout of a page.
a blank round of ammunition.
[as modifier] Grammar denoting a word that has no semantic content but is used to maintain grammatical structure:a dummy subject as in ‘it is’ or ‘there are’
3(chiefly in rugby and soccer) a feigned pass or kick intended to deceive an opponent.
4 informal, chiefly North American a stupid person.
5 Bridge the declarer’s partner, whose cards are exposed on the table after the opening lead and played by the declarer.
Bridge the exposed hand of the declarer’s partner.
an imaginary fourth player in whist: [as modifier]:dummy whist
verb (dummies, dummying, dummied)
[no object]
(chiefly in rugby and soccer) feign a pass or kick in order to deceive an opponent:Blanco dummied past a static defence
Phrases
sell someone a dummy
(chiefly in rugby and soccer) deceive an opponent by feigning a pass or kick.
Phrasal Verbs
dummy up
North American informal keep quiet; give no information.
Origin:
late 16th century: from dumb+ -y1. The original sense was 'a person who cannot speak', then 'an imaginary fourth player in whist' (mid 18th century), whence 'a substitute for the real thing' and 'a model of a human being' (mid 19th century)
