De*coy" (d&esl;*koi"), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Decoyed (?); p. pr. &
vb. n. Decoying.] [Pref. de- + coy;
orig., to quiet, soothe, caress, entice. See Coy.] To
lead into danger by artifice; to lure into a net or snare; to entrap;
to insnare; to allure; to entice; as, to decoy troops into an
ambush; to decoy ducks into a net.
Did to a lonely cot his steps
decoy.
Thomson.
E'en while fashion's brightest arts decoy,
The heart, distrusting, asks if this be joy.
Goldsmith.
Syn. -- To entice; tempt; allure; lure. See
Allure.
De*coy", n. 1.
Anything intended to lead into a snare; a lure that deceives and
misleads into danger, or into the power of an enemy; a
bait.
2. A fowl, or the likeness of one, used by
sportsmen to entice other fowl into a net or within shot.
3. A place into which wild fowl, esp. ducks,
are enticed in order to take or shoot them.
4. A person employed by officers of justice,
or parties exposed to injury, to induce a suspected person to commit
an offense under circumstances that will lead to his
detection.
