decoy
Hunter's false bird
A decoy is something used to lure or mislead—originally a bird or model bird used to attract game within shooting range, now any bait or distraction: Police used a decoy car to catch the thief.
The verb means to lure by deception: They decoyed him into the alley.
A decoy draws attention away from the real target.
Lifelike substitute figure
- fakeNot the real thing
- shamFraudulent imitation
- ruseDeliberate act of deception
- distractionThing diverting one's attention
diversion · feint · misdirection · red herring · false trail · smokescreen · plant · setup
Lure for prey
- lureThing that tempts
- enticementSomething that attracts
- attractionPull toward something
- temptationUrge toward the unwise
allure · trap · snare · seduction · draw · magnet · attractant · incentive
Swimming birds collectively
- blindLacking the sense of sight
- gooseLarge honking waterfowl
- gamebirdFowl hunted for sport
- retrieverDog trained to fetch game
call · shotgun · marshland · spread · migration · habitat · season · bag limit
Copy of the original
- fakeNot the real thing
- dummyLifelike substitute figure
- mock-upPreliminary representational model
- copyIdentical reproduction made
lookalike · replica · facsimile · simulacrum · stand-in · substitute · counterfeit · model
dummy
Lifelike substitute figure
distraction · diversion · feint · misdirection · red herring · false trail · smokescreen · plant · setup · façade
bait
Lure for prey
- lureThing that tempts
- enticementSomething that attracts
- attractionPull toward something
temptation · allure · trap · snare · seduction · draw · magnet · attractant · incentive · inducement
waterfowl
Swimming birds collectively
retriever · call · shotgun · marshland · spread · migration · habitat · season · bag limit · license
imitation
Copy of the original
copy · lookalike · replica · facsimile · simulacrum · stand-in · substitute · counterfeit · model · reproduction
target
Object of pursuit
countermeasure · radar · missile · aircraft · submarine · warfare · tactical · electronic · infrared · heat signature
hounds
Dogs bred to track
aniseed · line · run · huntsman · whipper-in · cast · earth · covert · halloa · gone away
- huntingdeer hunting, hunting rifle, hunters, tracking, hunting license
- tacticsmaneuver, counter-attack, gambit, ambush, counterstrike
- trapstrap, bear trap, mousetrap, rat trap, ant trap
- accomplicesaccomplice, accessory, co-conspirator, abettor, collaborator
- red herringsmisdirection, wild goose chase, smokescreen, false trail, dead end
- capture methodsnetting, trapping, snaring, lasso, ambush
decoygenuine article
Authentic original item
the real thing · authentic · original · real McCoy · genuine
- duck decoyFake bird lure
- decoy duckArtificial bird lure
- wooden decoyCarved imitation for hunting
- owl decoyFake bird for scaring pests
- decoy effectOption that steers choices
- goose decoysArtificial geese for hunting