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[duhm-ee] /ˈdʌm i/

noun, plural dummies.
1.
a representation or copy of something, as for displaying to indicate appearance:
a display of lipstick dummies made of colored plastic.
2.
a representation of a human figure, as for displaying clothes in store windows.
3.
Informal. a stupid person; dolt.
4.
a person who has nothing to say or who takes no active part in affairs.
5.
one put forward to act for others while ostensibly acting for oneself.
6.
Slang.

7.
Bridge.

8.
British. (def 2).
9.
Printing. sheets folded and made up to show the size, shape, form, sequence, and general style of a contemplated piece of printing.
10.
a rammer for pushing out dents in lead pipe.
11.
Computers. an artificial address, instruction, or other datum fed into a computer only to fulfill prescribed conditions and not affecting operations for solving problems.
12.
Military. a nonexplosive bomb used for practice exercises.
13.
Dentistry. .
adjective
14.
noting or pertaining to an imitation, representation, or copy.
15.
counterfeit; sham; fictitious.
16.
put forward to act for others while ostensibly acting for oneself.
17.
Cards. played with a dummy.
verb (used with object), dummied, dummying.
18.
Printing. to prepare a dummy of (often followed by up):
The designer dummied up the book so that they could study the format.
19.
to represent in a dummy (often followed by in):
to dummy in an illustration.
Verb phrases
20.
dummy up, Informal. to keep silent; refuse to answer:
If anybody asks you, just dummy up.
/ˈdʌmɪ/
noun (pl) -mies
1.
a figure representing the human form, used for displaying clothes, in a ventriloquist’s act, as a target, etc
2.

3.
(slang) a stupid person; fool
4.
(derogatory, slang) a person without the power of speech; mute
5.
(informal) a person who says or does nothing
6.

7.
(military) a weighted round without explosives, used in drill and training
8.
(bridge)

9.

10.
a feigned pass or move in a sport such as football or rugby
11.
(Brit) a rubber teat for babies to suck or bite on US and Canadian equivalent pacifier
12.
(modifier) counterfeit; sham
13.
(modifier) (of a card game) played with one hand exposed or unplayed
verb -mies, -mying, -mied
14.
to prepare a dummy of (a proposed book, page, etc)
15.
(sport) Also sell someone a dummy. to use a dummy pass in order to trick (an opponent)
n.

1590s, “mute person,” from dumb (adj.) + -y (3). Extended by 1845 to “figure representing a person.” Used in card games (originally whist) since 1736. Meaning “dolt, blockhead” is from 1796.

In a corporation, one who stands in for a real director or who serves as a nominal director during the organization of the corporation until the stockholders can elect directors.

modifier

: a dummy machine gun/ dummy windows

noun

verb

: The designer dummied the new book

Related Terms

beat one’s meat