gēnˈyȯl, -yōl noun
( -s )
Usage: sometimes capitalized
Etymology: French, probably after Guignol, reputed name of a silkworker of Lyons and character of the puppet theater which Laurent Mourquet installed there for the earliest performance (in 1795) of French puppet shows
1. : puppet ; especially : hand puppet — compare marionette
2. : puppet show
3. : a theatrical production featuring melodramatic tension, horror, and shock