Dummy
/ˈdʌmi/noun
A model or substitute used to imitate a real person or thing; also, a stupid person.
Did you know?The word’s earliest English sense was tied to a mute or silent person, showing how language can turn absence of speech into a label for emptiness, imitation, and eventually insult.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
dummie
“a silent or mute person”
15th-16th Century
English
dummy
“a person who says nothing; a fool”
18th Century
English
dummy
“a model, imitation, or placeholder object”
Modern English
English
dummy
“a substitute object, a mannequin, or an unintelligent person”