noun
puppet
PUP-it/ˈpʌpɪt/
A performance figure moved by an outside operator.
A hand pulls the strings to move the wooden puppet.
Etymology
The doll base and diminutive ending convey ‘little doll.’ This small human figure became a performance object moved by strings or wires, with the name later also applied to hand-operated figures.
In context
Reek was controlled like a like a puppet.
More examples
- She slips a puppet over her hand and gives it a squeaky voice.
- The children make shadow puppets dance across a white screen.
- The mayor is a puppet of the donors who fund him.
Forms
puppet · puppets
puppeteer noun — A person who operates puppets during performances.
puppetry noun — The art of creating and performing with puppets.
Similar words
- marionette
- Specifically a puppet controlled from above by strings or wires.