stool pigeon
noun
Definition of stool pigeon
1 : a person acting as a decoy or informer; especially : a spy sent into a group to report (as to the police) on its activities
2 : a pigeon used as a decoy to draw others within a net
From the M-W Editors
Examples of stool pigeon in a Sentence
the FBI finally got a break when one of the mob boss's top henchmen turned stool pigeon
Origin and Etymology of stool pigeon
probably from the early practice of fastening the decoy bird to a stool
First Known Use: 1826
STOOL PIGEON Defined for English Language Learners
stool pigeon
noun
Definition of stool pigeon for English Language Learners
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: a criminal who gives the police information about other criminals
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