"stool pigeon" meaning in English

See stool pigeon in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-stool pigeon.ogg [Australia] Forms: stool pigeons [plural]
Etymology: From the act of tying or even nailing a pigeon to a stool to act as a decoy by hunters. Alternatively, from an alteration of stale (“decoy”) + pigeon. Etymology templates: {{com|en|stale|pigeon|t1=decoy}} stale (“decoy”) + pigeon Head templates: {{en-noun}} stool pigeon (plural stool pigeons)
  1. (originally) A pigeon tied to a stool by a piece of twine, used as a decoy to entice free-flying birds to the ground to be shot or trapped.
    Sense id: en-stool_pigeon-en-noun-52jWbd6b
  2. (slang, obsolete) A decoy used in a crooked gambling game. Tags: obsolete, slang Translations (decoy): мюре (mjure) [neuter] (Bulgarian), мамец (mamec) [masculine] (Bulgarian), vasikka [slang] (Finnish), balance [feminine] (French), indic [masculine] (French), mouchard [masculine] (French), Lockvogel [masculine] (German), Spitzel [masculine] (German), πληροφοριοδότης (pliroforiodótis) [masculine] (Greek), χαφιές (chafiés) [colloquial, masculine] (Greek), pentito [masculine] (Italian), politispion [masculine] (Norwegian Bokmål), angiver [masculine] (Norwegian Bokmål), kapuś [masculine] (Polish), kabel [masculine] (Polish), наседка (nasedka) [feminine] (Russian), подсадная у́тка (podsadnaja útka) [feminine] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-stool_pigeon-en-noun-a589b8pV Disambiguation of 'decoy': 28 64 8
  3. (slang) An informer to the authorities, especially one who gives up criminal associates. Tags: slang Synonyms: stoolie, stooly, informant
    Sense id: en-stool_pigeon-en-noun-HXihYXYe Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 28 7 66

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for stool pigeon meaning in English (4.2kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "stale",
        "3": "pigeon",
        "t1": "decoy"
      },
      "expansion": "stale (“decoy”) + pigeon",
      "name": "com"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the act of tying or even nailing a pigeon to a stool to act as a decoy by hunters. Alternatively, from an alteration of stale (“decoy”) + pigeon.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "stool pigeons",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "stool pigeon (plural stool pigeons)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A pigeon tied to a stool by a piece of twine, used as a decoy to entice free-flying birds to the ground to be shot or trapped."
      ],
      "id": "en-stool_pigeon-en-noun-52jWbd6b",
      "qualifier": "originally",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(originally) A pigeon tied to a stool by a piece of twine, used as a decoy to entice free-flying birds to the ground to be shot or trapped."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "A decoy used in a crooked gambling game."
      ],
      "id": "en-stool_pigeon-en-noun-a589b8pV",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, obsolete) A decoy used in a crooked gambling game."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "slang"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "mjure",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "мюре"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "mamec",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мамец"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "vasikka"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "balance"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "indic"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "mouchard"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Lockvogel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Spitzel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "pliroforiodótis",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "πληροφοριοδότης"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "chafiés",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "χαφιές"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pentito"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "politispion"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "angiver"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "kapuś"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "kabel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "nasedka",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "наседка"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 64 8",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "podsadnaja útka",
          "sense": "decoy",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "подсадная у́тка"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "28 7 66",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An informer to the authorities, especially one who gives up criminal associates."
      ],
      "id": "en-stool_pigeon-en-noun-HXihYXYe",
      "links": [
        [
          "informer",
          "informer"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) An informer to the authorities, especially one who gives up criminal associates."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "stoolie"
        },
        {
          "word": "stooly"
        },
        {
          "word": "informant"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-stool pigeon.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1c/En-au-stool_pigeon.ogg/En-au-stool_pigeon.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/En-au-stool_pigeon.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "stool pigeon"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with audio links"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "stale",
        "3": "pigeon",
        "t1": "decoy"
      },
      "expansion": "stale (“decoy”) + pigeon",
      "name": "com"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the act of tying or even nailing a pigeon to a stool to act as a decoy by hunters. Alternatively, from an alteration of stale (“decoy”) + pigeon.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "stool pigeons",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "stool pigeon (plural stool pigeons)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A pigeon tied to a stool by a piece of twine, used as a decoy to entice free-flying birds to the ground to be shot or trapped."
      ],
      "qualifier": "originally",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(originally) A pigeon tied to a stool by a piece of twine, used as a decoy to entice free-flying birds to the ground to be shot or trapped."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang",
        "English terms with obsolete senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A decoy used in a crooked gambling game."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, obsolete) A decoy used in a crooked gambling game."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An informer to the authorities, especially one who gives up criminal associates."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "informer",
          "informer"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) An informer to the authorities, especially one who gives up criminal associates."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "stoolie"
        },
        {
          "word": "stooly"
        },
        {
          "word": "informant"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-stool pigeon.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1c/En-au-stool_pigeon.ogg/En-au-stool_pigeon.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/En-au-stool_pigeon.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "mjure",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "мюре"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "mamec",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мамец"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ],
      "word": "vasikka"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "balance"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "indic"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "mouchard"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Lockvogel"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Spitzel"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "pliroforiodótis",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "πληροφοριοδότης"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "chafiés",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "χαφιές"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pentito"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "politispion"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "angiver"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "kapuś"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "kabel"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "nasedka",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "наседка"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "podsadnaja útka",
      "sense": "decoy",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "подсадная у́тка"
    }
  ],
  "word": "stool pigeon"
}

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