Mannequin
/ˈmæn.ɪ.kɪn/noun
A life-sized model of the human body used to display clothing or for artistic study.
Did you know?Before mannequins became fashion displays, related human figures were used by artists as poseable anatomical models for studying the body.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*man-
“Human being or person; the reconstructed root behind Germanic words for “man””
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*mann-
“Person or human being”
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch
mannekijn
“Little man; the diminutive of man”
16th Century
French
mannequin
“An artist’s jointed model or small human figure, borrowed from Dutch”
18th Century
French
mannequin
“A model used by artists or for displaying clothing”
19th Century
English
mannequin
“A figure used to model or display clothes”