Dummy Definition and Meaning
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Urooj Arif — Published on June 19, 2024
Dummy is an imitation or replica of a real object, often used as a substitute for training or display purposes. e.g., The firefighter practiced rescues on a dummy.
Table of Contents
Dummy Definitions
A pacifier used by infants.
The baby wouldn't sleep without her dummy.
Something designed to resemble and serve as a substitute for the real or usual thing.
They used a dummy phone for the demonstration.
An unintelligent person; often used informally as a mild insult.
He felt like a dummy after making such a simple mistake.
In bridge and other card games, a hand that is exposed on the table and played by the partner of the hand’s holder.
He was the dummy for this round of the game.
Used in computing, referring to a placeholder or inert coding.
The program contains dummy variables that the users can replace.
A decoy or imitation used to distract or mislead.
The military used a dummy tank to mislead the enemy.
An imitation of a real or original object, intended to be used as a practical substitute.
A mannequin used in displaying clothes.
A figure of a person or an animal manipulated by a ventriloquist.
A stuffed or pasteboard figure used as a target.
(Football) A heavy stuffed cylindrical bag used for blocking and tackling practice.
A stupid person; a dolt.
A silent or taciturn person.
(Law) A person or entity that is the named party to a transaction but that acts on behalf of another concealed person or entity. Also called nominee, straw person.
A person or an agency secretly in the service of another.
One of a set of model pages with text and illustrations pasted into place to direct the printer. Also called dummy page.
A set of bound blank pages used as a model to show the size and general appearance of a book being published.
The partner in bridge who exposes their hand to be played by the declarer.
The hand thus exposed.
(Computers) A character or other piece of information entered into a computer only to meet prescribed conditions, such as word length, and having no effect on operations.
Simulating or replacing something but lacking its function
A dummy pocket.
A dummy medication in a study.
Serving as a front or cover for another
A dummy corporation.
(Games) Played with a dummy.
(Computers) Entered or provided only to meet prescribed conditions
A dummy variable.
To make a model of (a publication or page).
(dated) A silent person; a person who does not talk.
A stupid person.
Don't be such a dummy!
A figure of a person or animal used by a ventriloquist; a puppet.
Something constructed with the size and form of a human, to be used in place of a person.
To understand the effects of the accident, we dropped a dummy from the rooftop.
A person who is the mere tool of another; a man of straw.
A deliberately nonfunctional device or tool used in place of a functional one.
The hammer and drill in the display are dummies.
A "dummy teat"; a plastic or rubber teat used to soothe or comfort a baby; a pacifier.
The baby wants her dummy.
A player whose hand is shown and is to be played from by another player.
(linguistics) A word serving only to make a construction grammatical.
The pronoun "it" in "It's a mystery why this happened" is a dummy.
(programming) An unused parameter or value.
If
flag1 is false, the other parameters are dummies.A feigned pass or kick or play in order to deceive an opponent.
A bodily gesture meant to fool an opposing player; a feint.
(attributive) A newborn animal that is indifferent to stimulus and does not voluntarily move.
A dummy calf, lamb, or foal
To make a mock-up or prototype version of something, without some or all off its intended functionality.
The carpenters dummied some props for the rehearsals.
(sports) To feint.
(slang) Extremely.
It's dummy hot outside.
Silent; mute; noiseless; as a dummy engine.
Fictitious or sham; feigned; as, a dummy watch.
One who is dumb.
A sham package in a shop, or one which does not contain what its exterior indicates.
An imitation or copy of something, to be used as a substitute; a model; a lay figure; as, a figure on which clothing is exhibited in shop windows; a blank paper copy used to show the size of the future book, etc.
One who plays a merely nominal part in any action; a sham character.
A thick-witted person; a dolt.
A locomotive with condensing engines, and, hence, without the noise of escaping steam; also, a dummy car.
The fourth or exposed hand when three persons play at a four-handed game of cards.
A floating barge connected with a pier.
A person who does not talk
An ignorant or foolish person
A figure representing the human form
A cartridge containing an explosive charge but no bullet
Make a dummy of;
Dummy up the books that are to be published
Having the appearance of being real but lacking capacity to function;
A dummy corporation
A model or replica of a human figure used in displaying clothes, practicing maneuvers, etc.
The store window was decorated with a fashionably dressed dummy.
A placeholder or non-functional replica.
The drill used a dummy missile to simulate the operation.
A silent person, often implied to lack relevance or influence.
He just sat there like a dummy during the meeting.
An artificial form used in crash tests or medical training.
Crash test dummies are critical for testing vehicle safety.
Dummy Snonyms
Replica
An exact copy or model of something.
The museum featured a replica of the ancient sculpture.
Model
A three-dimensional representation of a person or thing or of a proposed structure.
The architect showed us a model of the new building.
Pacifier
A rubber or plastic nipple given to an infant to suck upon.
She gave the fussy baby a pacifier to calm him down.
Mannequin
A dummy used to display clothes in a store.
The mannequin was dressed in the latest fall collection.
Substitute
Something or someone acting in place of another.
She was a substitute teacher for the day.
Mock-up
A full-scale model of something built for study, testing, or displaying.
They created a mock-up of the new dashboard.
Imitation
Something that mimics or simulates something else.
The necklace was made of imitation pearls.
Decoy
An object or device used to lure or trick, especially in hunting or war.
Hunters used a decoy to attract ducks.
Effigy
A sculpture or model of a person.
Protesters burned an effigy of the controversial leader.
Simulacrum
An image or representation of someone or something.
The display was dominated by a large simulacrum of the Earth.
Dummy Idioms & Phrases
Dummy up
To remain silent or refuse to provide information.
He decided to dummy up when the questions got too invasive.
A dummy run
A rehearsal or trial exercise of something.
Let's do a dummy run of the presentation to ensure everything works.
Throw a dummy
In sports, especially in rugby, to make a deceptive movement.
He threw a dummy, fooling the defenders.
Vent dummy
A colloquial term for a ventriloquist's puppet.
The comedian was famous for his act with a vent dummy.
Dummy account
An account created to serve as a placeholder or for testing purposes.
Developers often use dummy accounts to test software.
Like a dummy
Acting foolish or mindlessly.
He just stood there like a dummy when he lost his lines.
Spit the dummy
An Australian phrase meaning to lose one's temper or to act in a childish way.
He spit the dummy when he didn't get his way.
Crash test dummy
Often used to describe someone who seems to repeatedly fail or get into accidents.
He's like a crash test dummy, always getting into scrapes.
Stand-in dummy
Someone who substitutes for another in a scene or job, often in entertainment.
The stunt performer worked as a stand-in dummy in the action movie.
Sales dummy
A preliminary version of a book produced for promotional purposes.
The sales dummy was sent to bookstores to generate interest.
Dummy variable
In statistics, a variable used in regression analysis that represents subgroups.
We included a dummy variable for gender in the analysis.
Political dummy
A derogatory term for a politician perceived as having no real power or influence.
The opposition described him as a political dummy.
Dummy Example Sentences
Inexperienced as he was, he often felt like a dummy at work.
The nursery is full of colorful dummies and soft toys.
The dummy in the driving simulator mimics real traffic scenarios.
The firefighter used a dummy for rescue practice drills.
They carried out a dummy evacuation drill to prepare for emergencies.
The dummy book had a temporary cover for the early reviewers.
He used a dummy camera for his photography class project.
They tested the car's safety features using a crash test dummy.
The dummy variables in the model helped us understand the effects better.
He felt embarrassed after acting like a dummy during the quiz.
The magician used a dummy to perform the disappearing trick.
For the scene, the director used a dummy to simulate the explosion effect.
He set up a dummy corporation for the sole purpose of a business demonstration.
Her baby instantly calmed down after getting his dummy.
She practiced her speech on a dummy audience made up of her friends.
Common Curiosities
How do we divide dummy into syllables?
Dummy is divided into syllables as follows: dum-my.
Why is it called dummy?
Dummy comes from the word "dumb," originally meaning mute or silent, reflecting its use in describing objects that serve as inert substitutes.
How many syllables are in dummy?
Dummy has two syllables.
How is dummy used in a sentence?
Dummy is used to describe a replica or stand-in for something real. e.g., The store used a dummy to display clothes.
What is a stressed syllable in dummy?
The stressed syllable in "dummy" is the first syllable: dum-.
What is the verb form of dummy?
Dummy itself is primarily a noun and an adjective; it does not have a verb form.
What is the root word of dummy?
The root word of dummy is "dumb," which historically referred to someone who was mute.
Is dummy an adverb?
No, dummy is not an adverb.
Is dummy an abstract noun?
No, dummy is a concrete noun.
Is dummy a vowel or consonant?
The word "dummy" starts with a consonant.
Is the word dummy a Gerund?
No, dummy is a noun and an adjective, not a gerund.
What is the pronunciation of dummy?
Dummy is pronounced as /ˈdʌmi/.
What is the opposite of dummy?
The opposite of dummy could be "live" or "real," depending on the context.
Is dummy a negative or positive word?
Dummy can have a negative connotation when referring to a person but is generally neutral when referring to objects.
What part of speech is dummy?
Dummy is a noun and can also function as an adjective.
What is another term for dummy?
Another term for dummy could be "mannequin" or "replica."
Is dummy a countable noun?
Yes, dummy is a countable noun.
Which conjunction is used with dummy?
Conjunctions such as "and," "but," and "or" can be used with dummy, depending on sentence structure.
Is dummy a noun or adjective?
Dummy is both a noun and an adjective.
Is the dummy term a metaphor?
Dummy can be used metaphorically to describe someone who is silent or ineffective.
Is the word “dummy” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
Dummy can function as a direct object, as in "He bought a dummy."
Which vowel is used before dummy?
The use of a vowel before "dummy" depends on the sentence structure; no specific vowel consistently precedes it.
Which preposition is used with dummy?
Common prepositions used with dummy include "for," "as," and "with," as in "a dummy for training," "used as a dummy," or "equipped with a dummy."
Which article is used with dummy?
The definite article "the" or the indefinite articles "a" or "an" can be used with dummy, depending on the context.
What is the singular form of dummy?
The singular form is "dummy."
What is the plural form of dummy?
The plural form is "dummies."
Is dummy a collective noun?
No, dummy is not a collective noun.
Is the word dummy imperative?
No, dummy is not typically used in the imperative form as it is not a verb.
Which determiner is used with dummy?
Determiners like "a," "an," or "the" are commonly used with dummy, depending on the context.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
