mannequin

noun

man·​ne·​quin ˈma-ni-kən 

1

: an artist's, tailor's, or dressmaker's lay figure

also : a form representing the human figure used especially for displaying clothes

2

: one employed to model clothing

Synonyms

• doll
• dummy
• manikin

Examples of mannequin in a Sentence

the mannequin over there looks so real

mannequins striding down the catwalk in the designer's spring collection

Recent Examples on the Web

Briggs had placed six inflatable mannequins across the face of the six-yard box. —James Pearce, New York Times, 29 July 2025

Hundreds of teaspoons covered the floor, dozens of cocktail glasses were suspended from a dinner jacket and red arms with white fur fingernails reached out from the wall towards a mannequin’s head that was a mass of red roses. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 21 July 2025

In the days leading up to the show, Tyler hinted at a surprise set for July 21 by posting cryptic images on his Instagram, including a Louis Vuitton bag, a mannequin’s head and a trumpet player in a band uniform. —Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 19 July 2025

Rather than search through a burning house, firefighters from several area fire departments had to dive into 30 feet of water to a 19th-century cargo ship in Lake Michigan to rescue a victim — in this case a mannequin — during a rescue dive training drill June 18. —Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Dutch mannekijn little man — more at manikin

First Known Use

1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mannequin

• manikin

Kids Definition

mannequin

noun

man·​ne·​quin ˈman-i-kən 

1

: an artist's, tailor's, or dressmaker's jointed figure of the human body

2

: a form representing the human figure used especially for displaying clothes

3

: a person employed to model clothing