stooge

Meaning

1. One who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit; a dupe.
2. A magician's assistant who pretends to be a member of the audience.
3. A straight man.
4. A secret informant for police.
5. A confederate; a person who is secretly working for the researcher, unknown to the study participant.

lackey

underling

hired killer

pupet

benefact

spineless person

cat’s-paw

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/stuːd͡ʒ/

Perhaps an abbreviation of Russian студе́нт (studént) [stʊˈdʲent]; the original meaning was “stage assistant, actor who assists a comedian”. It may have been a Yiddish vaudeville term.

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