What does "puppet" mean?
Puppet: A similar figure moved by the hand or by a wire in a mock drama; a marionette; a wooden actor in a play. At the pipes of some carved organ move, The gilded puppets dance. Pope.
Additional senses
- 2.One controlled in his action by the will of another; a tool; -- so used in contempt. Sir W. Scott.
- 3.(Mach.) The upright support for the bearing of the spindle in a lathe. Puppet master. Same as Puppetman. -- Puppet play, a puppet show. -- Puppet player, one who manages the motions of puppets. -- Puppet show, a mock drama performed by puppets moved by wires. -- Puppet valve, a valve in the form of a circular disk, which covers a hole in its seat, and opens by moving bodily away from the seat while remaining parallel with it, -- used in steam engines, pumps, safety valves, etc. Its edge is often beveled, and fits in a conical recess in the seat when the valve is closed. See the valves shown in Illusts. of Plunger pump, and Safety valve, under Plunger, and Safety.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00