Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An argument or opponent set up so as to be easily refuted or defeated.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
doll orscarecrow (particularly one stuffed withstraw ). - noun An
insubstantial concept ,idea ,endeavor orargument , particularly onedeliberately set up to beweakly supported , so that it can be easilyknocked down ; especially toimpugn thestrength of any related thing or idea. - noun An
innocuous person or someone ofnominal or lesserimportance , as afront man orstraw boss .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a person used as a cover for some questionable activity
- noun a weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted
- noun an effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[From the making of sham human figures out of bundles of straw, as for use as scarecrows or practice targets .]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1986 passim, shows first known usages for things insubstantial date to 1585-95. Universal Dictionary of the English Language, 1897, Vol 4, p. 4485, notes "man of straw" as "The figure of a man formed of an old suit of clothes stuffed with straw; hence, the mere resemblance of a man; one of no substance or means; an imaginary person."
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Examples
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ecbrenner commented on the word straw man
"An imaginary argument of no substance advanced in order to be easily confuted or an imaginary adversary advancing such an argument." --Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary
June 9, 2009
tbtabby commented on the word straw man
Popular amongst creationists.
June 9, 2009
ruzuzu commented on the word straw man
See straw-person argument.
November 5, 2010