Definition of Straw man

1. Noun. A person used as a cover for some questionable activity.


2. Noun. A weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted.
Exact synonyms: Strawman
Generic synonyms: Specious Argument

3. Noun. An effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds.
Exact synonyms: Bird-scarer, Scarecrow, Scarer, Strawman
Generic synonyms: Effigy, Image, Simulacrum
Derivative terms: Scare

Straw Man Pictures

Click any thumbnail below to go to the full-sized version of that picture or photo:

Loading...

Lexicographical Neighbors of Straw Man

strawflower
strawflowers
strawhat
strawier
strawiest
strawing
strawman
strawn
straws
strawworm
strawworms
strawy
straw boss
straw foxglove
straw hat
straw man (current term)
straw mushroom
straw poll
straw vote
straw wine
stray
strayed
strayer
strayers
straying
strayings
strays
streak
streaked
streaker

Literary usage of Straw man

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion by James George Frazer (1900)
"Finally they burned a straw-man on the field.2 In the district of Diisseldorf the straw-man burned on Shrove Tuesday was made of an ..."

2. The Yesterdays of Grand Rapids,. by Charles Eugene Belknap (1922)
"... the same instinct that controlled their flights guided them to some vast wilderness unknown to man? The straw man Along in the 1850's the mattress maker ..."

3. Skilful Thinking by G. J. Rossouw, Craig MacKenzie (1994)
"1.2 The straw man fallacy In the Middle Ages people used straw dolls to ... "The straw man fallacy" is a good name for this fallacy because in it person A's ..."

4. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay by Asiatic Society of Bombay (1872)
"The straw-man began to prove from various Shastras, that there is no God but Shiva — to the utter amazement of all wh" were present. ..."

5. The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll by Robert Green Ingersoll (1901)
"the name of Smith, a teacher in some seminary out in Ohio, challenged this " man of straw," and the straw man put him out. Both these reverend gentlemen ..."

Other Resources Relating to: Straw man

Search for Straw man on Dictionary.com!Search for Straw man on Thesaurus.com!Search for Straw man on Google!Search for Straw man on Wikipedia!

Search