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mannikin

mannikins

A mannikin is a human-sized figure that's used to fit or display clothing. In the summer, the mannikins in department store windows might all be wearing bathing suits. Ooh la la.

Mannikin can also be spelled manikin or mannequin — and no matter how you spell it, it almost always means "display dummy," or a lifelike, full-sized plastic model for clothes. Sometimes mannikins are used for artists to sketch, and rarely the word is also used to mean "very small person." This last meaning makes sense when you know the Dutch root word, manneken, or "little man."

Definitions of mannikin
  1. noun
    a life-size dummy used to display clothes
    synonyms: form, manakin, manikin, mannequin
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    type of:
    dummy
    a figure representing the human form
  2. noun
    a person who is very small but who is not otherwise deformed or abnormal
    synonyms: homunculus, manikin
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    type of:
    small person
    a person of below average size
  3. noun
    a woman who wears clothes to display fashions
    synonyms: fashion model, manakin, manikin, mannequin, model
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    types:
    supermodel
    a fashion model who has attained the status of a celebrity
    type of:
    assistant, help, helper, supporter
    a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘mannikin'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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