DUMMY

I. noun (plural dummies) Etymology: 1dumb + 4-y Date: 1598 1. a person who is incapable of speaking, a person who is habitually silent, a stupid person, 2. the exposed hand in bridge played by the declarer in addition to his own hand, a bridge player whose hand is a ~, an imitation, copy, or likeness of something used as a substitute: as, mannequin , a stuffed figure or cylindrical bag used by football players for tackling and blocking practice, a large puppet usually having movable features (as mouth and arms) manipulated by a ventriloquist, pacifier 2, one seeming to act independently but in reality controlled by another, 5. a mock-up of a proposed publication (as a book or magazine), a set of pages (as for a newspaper or magazine) with the position of text and artwork indicated for the printer, II. adjective Date: 1846 1. having the appearance of being real ; artificial , existing in name only ; fictitious , apparently acting for oneself while really acting for or at the direction of another , III. transitive verb (dummied; ~ing) Date: circa 1928 to make a ~ of (as a publication)