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pup·pet

(pŭpĭt)

1. A small figure of a person or animal, having a cloth body and hollow head, designed to be fitted over and manipulated by the hand.

2. A figure having jointed parts animated from above by strings or wires; a marionette.

3. A toy representing a human figure; a doll.

4. One whose behavior is determined by the will of others: a political puppet.

[Middle English poppet, doll, possibly from Anglo-Norman poppe, doll; see PUPPY.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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