dummy
dummy — noun
1. a life-sized copy of a human body, used to put garments on for retail display, t
a life-sized copy of a human body, used to put garments on for retail display, to train people in first aid, or to test how products hold up under pressure
The shop window displayed a wooden dummy wearing a long red dress.
Sahil used a dummy to practise giving first aid to someone who was hurt.
collocation: crash-test dummy / tailor's dummy / practice dummy
The tailor pinned the fabric onto the dummy before cutting the real cloth.
Crash test dummies help engineers design safer cars for families everywhere.
用法筆記
Often appears in compound nouns such as crash-test dummy, tailor's dummy, and practice dummy.
常見錯誤
2. an object that looks like a real thing but is made to be used for practice, test
an object that looks like a real thing but is made to be used for practice, testing, or to trick other people
The army placed dummies of tanks in the field to confuse enemy planes.
collocation: dummy tank / dummy bomb / dummy weapon
Yuna trained for her exam with a dummy version of the test paper.
collocation: dummy version / dummy run
The detectives found a dummy bomb made of cardboard and plastic wires.
The shop put a dummy mobile phone on display to keep the real ones safe.
- original
the genuine article that the dummy replaces or imitates
用法筆記
Common in compounds like dummy run (a practice trial), dummy corporation (a company with no real operations), and dummy door (a fake door for symmetry).
常見錯誤
3. a move in football or rugby where a player pretends to kick or pass the ball one
a move in football or rugby where a player pretends to kick or pass the ball one way, then does something different to trick the opposing team
The striker sold a beautiful dummy and ran past the goalkeeper.
collocation: sell a dummy (give a feint)
Paloma practised the dummy pass until she could fool any defender.
collocation: dummy pass / dummy shot
With a quick dummy shot Leo made the goalie dive in the wrong direction.
Coaches teach young players how to use a dummy to create space on the field.
- feint
used across multiple sports, slightly more formal; dummy is specific to football/rugby
- fake
common in American sports; dummy is the British equivalent
- deceptive move
descriptive phrase covering any trick that misleads an opponent
用法筆記
Chiefly British football (soccer) terminology. In North American sports the equivalent terms are 'fake' or 'feint'. The fixed phrase 'sell a dummy' means to successfully deceive an opponent with this move.
常見錯誤
4. a small teat-shaped item made from soft material that a baby holds in its mouth
a small teat-shaped item made from soft material that a baby holds in its mouth to feel comforted or to stop crying
The baby dropped her dummy on the floor and started to cry loudly.
Talia keeps a spare dummy in her bag in case the baby wakes up.
The toddler refused to sleep without his favourite blue dummy nearby.
The nurses gave the newborn a dummy to help her settle after the check-up.
用法筆記
Called a 'pacifier' in American English and a 'soother' in Canadian English. This sense is the only one that refers to an object for babies.
常見錯誤
5. a person who is not intelligent or who does things that are not sensible, often
a person who is not intelligent or who does things that are not sensible, often used to express annoyance or to tease someone gently
Christopher called him a dummy for leaving the car keys inside the house.
informal register: teasing insult
Only a dummy would walk across the train tracks with headphones on.
Élise felt like a complete dummy when she forgot her own phone number.
Don't be a dummy — check the address before you drive across the city.
用法筆記
Informal and mildly insulting; comparable to 'idiot' in strength. Less harsh than stronger insults, but still rude if directed at someone directly. Often used affectionately among friends or as a self-directed tease.
常見錯誤
dummy — adjective
1. made to look like a real thing but not functioning as the real thing would; used
made to look like a real thing but not functioning as the real thing would; used for practice, display, or to deceive
The actors fought with dummy weapons that looked completely real on stage.
attributive only: dummy + noun
Jenna installed a dummy security camera outside to scare away thieves.
The website had dummy text filling the empty boxes until the content arrived.
During the drill the nurses practised on a dummy patient with fake injuries.
用法筆記
Only used attributively before a noun (dummy gun, dummy door, dummy corporation). It is NOT used predicatively — you cannot say 'The gun was dummy'; you must say 'The gun was a dummy weapon.'
常見錯誤
dummy — verb
1. in soccer or rugby, to make a move that looks like you are going to kick or pass
in soccer or rugby, to make a move that looks like you are going to kick or pass the ball one way, but instead do another action to mislead a player on the other team
Sahil dummied the goalkeeper and then slid the ball into the empty net.
transitive pattern: dummy + opponent
The striker dummied a pass to the left and instead shot towards the right post.
Hoa dummied the defender so smoothly that the whole crowd cheered loudly.
Mert dummied twice before crossing the ball to his teammate near the goal.
文法句型
dummy + noun phrase (the defender/goalkeeper)
dummy (no object)
用法筆記
Chiefly British football (soccer) terminology. The past tense is 'dummied' and the present participle is 'dummying'. The verb can be used transitively (dummy + opponent) or intransitively (dummy without an object).