dummy

Definitions

General English

Cars & Driving

  • noun a stuffed figure made to look like a human being, used, for instance, when testing cars to destruction

Computing

  • noun an imitation product used to test the reaction of potential customers to its design

Construction

  • In CPM (critical path method) scheduling, a restraint with no activity and no time.

Economics

  • In a regression analysis, a dummy (or dummy variable) is used to capture an explanatory variable that is either on (with a value of one) or off (zero). For example, in a gravity equation, the coefficient on a common-language dummy would measure the effect on trade flow between two countries of their sharing a common language.

Electronics

  • A non-operational component, device, or piece of equipment which can be connected or installed as if it were a working component, device, or piece of equipment. Used, for instance, for testing, or to fulfill a requirement.
  • In computers, a character, variable, instruction, address, or the like, which serves as a placeholder. It does nothing more than reserve a space until the intended item replaces it, or to fulfill a requirement.

Media Studies

  • noun a rough version of the layout of a newspaper page, showing placement of advertisements

Politics

  • noun a paper with the titles of a bill, presented in the House of Commons for the First Reading when the short title is read out by the clerk

Publishing

  • noun an imitation product to test the reaction of potential customers to its design, especially a book with a cover but blank pages, or with only a few specimen pages showing layouts

Slang

  • noun a fool, simpleton or dupe. From ‘dumb’ in the American sense.

Sports

  • noun in football, rugby or a similar game, a feigned pass or other move intended to deceive an opponent, especially a tackler
  • verb to make a dummy in football, rugby or a similar game
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