cat's-paw

listen to the pronunciation of cat's-paw
English - English
A knot of a certain kind resembling a lark’s-foot hitch; see cat's paw for more detailed information
A pawn or dupe; somebody who has been unwittingly tricked into acting in another's interest

It could be said – there are plenty who say it – that his rejection of the left has made him a cat's paw of the right, but it is a pretty strange right-wing cat's paw who favours the idea of unrestricted illegal immigration into Spain.

A breeze that ruffles patches of a water surface
a hitch in the middle of rope that has two eyes into which tackle can be hooked
{i} person who is used by another to do an unpleasant task; twist in a loop of rope; light wind
Alternative form of cat's-paw
cats·paw someone who is used by someone else to achieve something bad
cat's-paw

    Pronunciation

    Etymology

    () Meaning 1: From a fable, perhaps of Aesop's, in which a crafty monkey begs a cat to pull hot chestnuts from a fire. The cat singes his paw, and the monkey gobbles up the chestnuts leaving none for the cat. Meaning 2: Probably due to resemblance in terms of shape.
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