De*coy" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Decoyed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Decoying.] [Pref. de- + coy; orig., to quiet, soothe, caress, entice. See Coy.]
To lead into danger by artifice; to lure into a net or snare; to entrap; to insnare; to allure; to entice; as, to decoy troops into an ambush; to decoy ducks into a net.
Did to a lonely cot his steps decoy.
Thomson.
E'en while fashion's brightest arts decoy,
The heart, distrusting, asks if this be joy.
Goldsmith.
Syn. -- To entice; tempt; allure; lure. See Allure.
© Webster 1913.
De*coy", n.
1.
Anything intended to lead into a snare; a lure that deceives and misleads into danger, or into the power of an enemy; a bait.
2.
A fowl, or the likeness of one, used by sportsmen to entice other fowl into a net or within shot.
3.
A place into which wild fowl, esp. ducks, are enticed in order to take or shoot them.
4.
A person employed by officers of justice, or parties exposed to injury, to induce a suspected person to commit an offense under circumstances that will lead to his detection.
© Webster 1913.