scarecrow

noun

scare·​crow ˈsker-ˌkrō 

1

a

: an object usually suggesting a human figure that is set up to frighten birds away from crops

b

: something frightening but harmless

2

: a skinny or ragged person

Examples of scarecrow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Working out must be tricky for someone with CIPA, and Quaid has a tall, lanky quality that suggests a smiley scarecrow — but what a smile, combining the best of parents Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid! —Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 Mar. 2025

Stationery deterrents, such as a scarecrow, plastic owl or cat silhouette, are not effective. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2025

Big Basin Way in downtown Saratoga has dozens of homemade scarecrows up and down the street – some funny, some scary, and some out of this world. —Yan Zhao, The Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2024

Mister Fear As the name suggests, Mister Fear is Marvel's answer to DC's scarecrow: a villain armed with fear gas, forcing his victims to relive their worst nightmares. —David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

scarecrow

noun

scare·​crow ˈske(ə)r-ˌkrō 

ˈska(ə)r-

: an object usually suggesting a human figure that is set up to scare birds away from crops