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  1. straw man love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A person who is set up as a cover or front for a questionable enterprise.
  2. n. An argument or opponent set up so as to be easily refuted or defeated.
  3. n. A bundle of straw made into the likeness of a man and often used as a scarecrow.

Wiktionary

  1. n. A doll or scarecrow (particularly one stuffed with straw).
  2. n. An insubstantial concept, idea, endeavor or argument, particularly one deliberately set up to be weakly supported, so that it can be easily knocked down; especially to impugn the strength of any related thing or idea.
  3. n. An innocuous person or someone of nominal or lesser importance, as a front man or straw boss.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a person used as a cover for some questionable activity
  2. n. a weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted
  3. n. an effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds

Etymologies

  1. Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1986 passim, shows first known usages for things insubstantial date to 1585-95. Universal Dictionary of the English Language, 1897, Vol 4, p. 4485, notes "man of straw" as "The figure of a man formed of an old suit of clothes stuffed with straw; hence, the mere resemblance of a man; one of no substance or means; an imaginary person." (Wiktionary)

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hypernyms (10)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. cheat
  2. beguiler
  1. deceiver
  2. trickster
  1. slicker
  2. cheater
  1. specious argument
  2. simulacrum
  1. image
  2. effigy

reverse dictionary (6)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. straw-shoes
  1. jackstraw
  1. straw man
  1. straw
  1. man of straw
  1. scarecrow

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Lists

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Comments

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  • ruzuzu See straw-person argument. Nov 4, 2010

  • tbtabby Popular amongst creationists. Jun 9, 2009

  • ecbrenner "An imaginary argument of no substance advanced in order to be easily confuted or an imaginary adversary advancing such an argument." --Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary Jun 8, 2009

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‘straw man’ has been looked up 1412 times, loved by 3 people, added to 10 lists, commented on 3 times, and is not a valid Scrabble word.