a small doll or figure of a person or animal moved by strings attached to its limbs or by the hand inserted in its cloth body (as modifier): a puppet theatre a person, group, state, etc, that appears independent but is in fact controlled by another (as modifier): a puppet government
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
pup•pet /ˈpʌpɪt/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
adj. [before a noun]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a usually small, doll-like figure representing a human being or an animal, moved by the hands or by rods, wires, etc.
- a person, group, or government whose actions are controlled by another or others.
adj. [before a noun]
- controlled by others:a puppet government.
pup•pet
(pup′it),USA pronunciation n.
pup′pet•like′, adj.
- an artificial figure representing a human being or an animal, manipulated by the hand, rods, wires, etc., as on a miniature stage. Cf. hand puppet, marionette.
- a person, group, government, etc., whose actions are prompted and controlled by another or others.
- a small doll.
- [Mach.]poppethead.
- Late Latin puppa, Latin pūpa doll; see -et
- earlier poppet, Middle English popet, apparently alteration of Middle Low German poppe doll 1350–1400
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged pawn, figurehead, instrument.
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