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 of mannequin

• doll
• dummy

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

Rua enters the topic of humanness by depicting a pack of mannequins. —Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026

Bateman had crowned himself the successor to Jeffs, telling people that Jeffs had died and been replaced by a mannequin in his cell. —Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026

He’s accompanied by his younger brother, Trent, on the one-string Frosted Flakes bass with a paint stirring stick for the neck, singing backup on a 1972 push-button telephone attached to a mannequin. —Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026

Nude Descending a Staircase ostensibly depicts a figure walking down a flight of stairs, as its title suggests, but the mannequin-like person is abstracted beyond recognition. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026

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