STALKING-HORSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does stalking-horse mean? 

• STALKING-HORSE (noun)
  The noun STALKING-HORSE has 4 senses:

1. a candidate put forward to divide the Opposition or to mask the true candidate

2. something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason

3. screen consisting of a figure of a horse behind which a hunter hides while stalking game

4. a horse behind which a hunter hides while stalking game

  Familiarity information: STALKING-HORSE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STALKING-HORSE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A candidate put forward to divide the Opposition or to mask the true candidate

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("stalking-horse" is a kind of...):

campaigner; candidate; nominee (a politician who is running for public office)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

pretext; stalking-horse

Hypernyms ("stalking-horse" is a kind of...):

dissembling; feigning; pretence; pretense (pretending with intention to deceive)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "stalking-horse"):

putoff (a pretext for delay or inaction)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Screen consisting of a figure of a horse behind which a hunter hides while stalking game

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("stalking-horse" is a kind of...):

concealment; cover; covert; screen (a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A horse behind which a hunter hides while stalking game

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("stalking-horse" is a kind of...):

Equus caballus; horse (solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times)