| Library / English Dictionary |
STRAW MAN
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
An effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds
Synonyms:
bird-scarer; scarecrow; scarer; straw man; strawman
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("straw man" is a kind of...):
effigy; image; simulacrum (a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture))
Sense 2
Meaning:
A weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted
Synonyms:
straw man; strawman
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("straw man" is a kind of...):
specious argument (an argument that appears good at first view but is really fallacious)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A person used as a cover for some questionable activity
Synonyms:
figurehead; front; front man; nominal head; straw man; strawman
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("straw man" is a kind of...):
beguiler; cheat; cheater; deceiver; slicker; trickster (someone who leads you to believe something that is not true)
