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

• doll
• dummy
• manikin

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

One room at the Museum features a family of all-American mannequins dressed in J.C. Penney outfits. —Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Clad in white, Kesha appeared on stage holding a disembodied mannequin head with her likeness. —Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 16 July 2025

Next to this are seven mannequins dressed in looks from the same collection, using the same styling that was shown on the runway. —Kelly Wetherille, Footwear News, 13 June 2025

Last Friday, on the 81st anniversary of D-Day, Asaro had been seen slipping the World War II-era replica out of a mannequin’s holster at the Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage and dropping it into his shorts pocket. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025

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