What does decoy mean?
A decoy is a person, animal, or object deliberately used to distract attention or lure someone into a trap, most famously in hunting, where artificial birds are floated on water to draw real ducks within range. The word also functions as a verb: to decoy someone is to entice them away by such means. Beyond its literal hunting sense, decoy has broad figurative application — police run decoy operations, military forces deploy decoy targets, and even everyday life offers decoys, such as a dummy wallet carried to frustrate pickpockets. The term carries connotations of strategy and deception rather than outright dishonesty; a decoy is a legitimate tool of misdirection, often employed against an adversary. Its origin lies in the Dutch phrase de kooi, meaning 'the cage', which entered English in the seventeenth century through fowling terminology. The word remains current and useful wherever concealment, diversion, or entrapment is at issue, making it a valuable addition to any vocabulary concerned with strategy and deception.
A person or thing used to lure others into a trap or to divert attention, especially a model bird used by hunters to attract wildfowl.
"The smugglers sent out a small boat as a decoy while the real cargo moved by another route."
Frequently modified by context: police decoy, decoy duck, radar decoy.
To lure or entice someone into a place or situation, typically by means of a false attraction.
"They decoyed the enemy troops into the valley with a feigned retreat."
Regular plural; used for both literal devices and figurative ones.
"The pond was crowded with plastic decoys."
The word 'decoy' comes from the Dutch phrase 'de kooi' — literally 'the cage' — so every time you use it, you're speaking a little Dutch without knowing it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of decoy
Decoy entered English in the early seventeenth century from the Dutch phrase de kooi, literally 'the cage', referring to the netted enclosures used to capture wildfowl. The Dutch kooi itself descends from Latin cavea, the same root that gave English both 'cage' and 'gaol', making these distant relatives. Originally tied to duck-hunting, the word quickly broadened to any device or person used to lure prey or mislead an opponent.
How decoy is actually used
Common in hunting and law-enforcement contexts; figurative uses (a decoy email address, a decoy target) are standard and not informal.
Easily confused with decoy
Deploy means to bring into position or use, while decoy means to lure or mislead.
Decay refers to rotting or decline, while decoy is about luring or diversion.