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Webster 1913 Edition


Decoy

De-coy′

(dē̍-koi′)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Decoyed
(-koid′)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Decoying
.]
[Pref.
de-
+
coy
; orig., to quiet, soothe, caress, entice. See
Coy
.]
To lead into danger by artifice; to lure into a net or snare; to entrap; to insnare; to allure; to entice;
as, to
decoy
troops into an ambush; to
decoy
ducks into a net.
Did to a lonely cot his steps
decoy
.
Thomson.
Syn. – To entice; tempt; allure; lure. See
Allure
.

De-coy′

,
Noun.
1.
Anything intended to lead into a snare; a lure that deceives and misleads into danger, or into the power of an enemy; a bait.
2.
A fowl, or the likeness of one, used by sportsmen to entice other fowl into a net or within shot.
3.
A place into which wild fowl, esp. ducks, are enticed in order to take or shoot them.
4.
A person employed by officers of justice, or parties exposed to injury, to induce a suspected person to commit an offense under circumstances that will lead to his detection.

Webster 1828 Edition


Decoy

DECOY

,
Noun.
1.
Any thing intended to lead into a snare; any lure or allurement that deceives and misleads into evil, danger or the power of an enemy.
2.
A place for catching wild fowls.