cat's-paw
noun
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Definition of cat's-paw
1 : a light air that ruffles the surface of the water in irregular patches during a calm
2 [ from the fable of the monkey that used a cat's paw to draw chestnuts from the fire ] : one used by another as a tool : dupe the … government became the cat's-paw for foreign powers— D. J. Boorstin
3 : a hitch knot formed with two eyes for attaching a line to a hook — see knot illustration
Synonyms for cat's-paw
Synonyms
instrument, lay figure, pawn, puppet, tool
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