effigy

noun

ef·​fi·​gy ˈe-fə-jē How to pronounce effigy (audio)
plural effigies
: an image or representation especially of a person
especially : a crude figure representing a hated person
Phrases
in effigy
: publicly in the form of an effigy
the football coach was burned in effigy

Did you know?

An earlier sense of effigy is "a likeness of a person shaped out of stone or other materials," so it's not surprising to learn that effigy derives, by way of Middle French, from the Latin effigies, which, in turn, comes from the verb effingere ("to form"), a combination of the prefix ­ex- and fingere, which means "to shape." Fingere is the common ancestor of a number of other English nouns that name things you can shape. A fiction is a story you shape with your imagination. Figments are shaped by the imagination, too; they're something you imagine or make up. A figure can be a numeral, a shape, or a picture that you shape as you draw or write.

Examples of effigy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There were reports of roughly 20,000 mounds, including effigy and conical, that were built across Wisconsin. Vanessa Swales, Journal Sentinel, 16 Oct. 2024 Each effigy contained a man’s skull that was painted with scenes depicting the final stages of his life. George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2024 Several vehicles are required to transport the 3,000-plus-pound effigy, in pieces, to Fort Marcy Park. Heather Mundt, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Aug. 2024 An annotated version of the image points out features like a road leading to the city and the location of a large effigy that’s burned at the end of the event. Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for effigy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'effigy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French effigie, borrowed from Latin effigiēs "representation, copy, specter," from effig-, variant stem of effingere "to shape, portray, copy" (from ef-, variant before f of ex- ex- entry 1 + fingere "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of") + -iēs, deverbal noun suffix — more at feign

First Known Use

1539, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of effigy was in 1539

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Dictionary Entries Near effigy

Cite this Entry

“Effigy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effigy. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

effigy

noun
ef·​fi·​gy ˈef-ə-jē How to pronounce effigy (audio)
plural effigies
: a likeness especially of a person
especially : a crude figure meant to represent a hated person
hanged their cruel ruler in effigy

More from Merriam-Webster on effigy

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