v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decoyed p. pr. & vb. n. Decoying. ] [ Pref. de- + coy; orig., to quiet, soothe, caress, entice. See Coy. ] To lead into danger by artifice; to lure into a net or snare; to entrap; to insnare; to allure; to entice; as, to decoy troops into an ambush; to decoy ducks into a net. [ 1913 Webster ]

Did to a lonely cot his steps decoy. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

E'en while fashion's brightest arts decoy,
The heart, distrusting, asks if this be joy. Goldsmith.

Syn. -- To entice; tempt; allure; lure. See Allure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Anything intended to lead into a snare; a lure that deceives and misleads into danger, or into the power of an enemy; a bait. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fowl, or the likeness of one, used by sportsmen to entice other fowl into a net or within shot. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A place into which wild fowl, esp. ducks, are enticed in order to take or shoot them. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A person employed by officers of justice, or parties exposed to injury, to induce a suspected person to commit an offense under circumstances that will lead to his detection. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A duck used to lure wild ducks into a decoy; hence, a person employed to lure others into danger. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who decoys another. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Decoy-men A man employed in decoying wild fowl. [ 1913 Webster ]