puppet

C2+ Topic:People & Society

US /ˈpʌpɪt/ UK /ˈpʌpɪt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a figure moved by strings or hands, or a person controlled by another

The general installed a puppet ruler loyal to his interests.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a figure moved by strings... marionette dollpawntoolfigureheadstooge

Word family

Derived forms puppetrypuppeteer

Related forms pup puppy pupa

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

puppet ruler
a ruler who holds office while another person or power controls the government

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Puppet entered English in the 16th century and is related to Old French poupee, “doll, plaything.” It shares this ancestry with poppet and puppy, and puppet or poppet was the usual term for a child’s doll before doll acquired that sense in the late 17th century.

Etymology

From earlier popet, from Middle French poupette, diminutive related to poupée ('doll'), from Latin pupa ('girl, doll').

poupette Middle French pupa Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society Theater & Performance

External links

# puppet

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpʌpɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpʌpɪt/

## Meanings
1. a figure moved by strings or hands, or a person controlled by another

## Examples
- The general installed a puppet ruler loyal to his interests.

## Synonyms
- marionette
- doll
- pawn
- tool
- figurehead
- stooge

## Derived Forms
- puppetry
- puppeteer

## Related Forms
- pup
- puppy
- pupa

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: poupette
- Root: pupa

## Etymology
From earlier popet, from Middle French poupette, diminutive related to poupée ('doll'), from Latin pupa ('girl, doll').

## AI Etymology
Puppet is from earlier popet, from Middle French poupette, diminutive related to poupée ('doll'), from Latin pupa ('girl, doll'). Important recorded forms include poupette (Middle French) and pupa (Latin). The modern sense follows that older lexical line closely. In current use it covers a figure moved by strings or hands, or a person controlled by another. The wider family includes derived forms such as puppetry and puppeteer and related words such as pup, puppy, and pupa.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Theater & Performance

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