decoy

From Dutch de +‎ kooi, literally "the cage". Possibly related to verb coy (which itself may have been influenced by decoy).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdiːkɔɪ/

• Audio (US)

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decoy (plural decoys)

1. A person or object meant to lure somebody into danger.
2. A real or fake animal used by hunters to lure game.

decoy (third-person singular simple present decoys, present participle decoying, simple past and past participle decoyed)

1. (transitive) To lead into danger by artifice; to lure into a net or snare; to entrap.

   to decoy troops into an ambush; to decoy ducks into a net

   • Goldsmith

     E'en while fashion's brightest arts decoy, / The heart, distrusting, asks if this be joy.

2. To act as, or use, a decoy. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

• deke

• coyed