effigy

noun

ef·​fi·​gy ˈe-fə-jē How to pronounce effigy (audio)
plural effigies
: an image or representation especially of a person
especially : a crude figure representing a hated person
Phrases
in effigy
: publicly in the form of an effigy
the football coach was burned in effigy

Did you know?

An earlier sense of effigy is "a likeness of a person shaped out of stone or other materials," so it's not surprising to learn that effigy derives, by way of Middle French, from the Latin effigies, which, in turn, comes from the verb effingere ("to form"), a combination of the prefix ­ex- and fingere, which means "to shape." Fingere is the common ancestor of a number of other English nouns that name things you can shape. A fiction is a story you shape with your imagination. Figments are shaped by the imagination, too; they're something you imagine or make up. A figure can be a numeral, a shape, or a picture that you shape as you draw or write.

Examples of effigy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web To ward off inclement weather (like the snowstorm that canceled the parade in 2008) a snowman is burned in effigy prior to each Bockfest weekend during what's dubbed as the Precipitation Retaliation Happy Hour. Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 1 Mar. 2024 About 20,000 mounds, effigy and conical, were built in Wisconsin, but only about 4,000 remain today because of Western development over the last 200 years. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2024 For many, torching the temple has become the centerpiece of the burning — a more intimate, spiritual event than the rave-party-like immolation of the effigy. Scott Sonner, ajc, 6 Sep. 2023 The Brazil international had been racially abused by Atletico fans before other derbies, including by some who hanged an effigy of the player off a highway bridge last year. Tales Azzoni, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 The wooden effigy burned Monday night, and the temple burned Tuesday night after being postponed because of heavy rain. Ed Komenda, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2023 The event held its annual burning of the Man effigy late Monday night after multiple delays. Herb Scribner, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023 Two effigies dressed like Swift and Kelce, which had been made for an upcoming festival put on by the Young Women's League of New Canaan, are thought to have sparked the pandemonium. EW.com, 20 Oct. 2023 Big name DJs do, but generally speaking, nobody publishes performance times. History in a nutshell: In 1986, two hippies burned a human effigy on San Francisco’s Baker Beach. Ed Fletcher, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'effigy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French effigie, borrowed from Latin effigiēs "representation, copy, specter," from effig-, variant stem of effingere "to shape, portray, copy" (from ef-, variant before f of ex- ex- entry 1 + fingere "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of") + -iēs, deverbal noun suffix — more at feign

First Known Use

1539, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of effigy was in 1539

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Dictionary Entries Near effigy

Cite this Entry

“Effigy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effigy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

effigy

noun
ef·​fi·​gy ˈef-ə-jē How to pronounce effigy (audio)
plural effigies
: a likeness especially of a person
especially : a crude figure meant to represent a hated person
hanged their cruel ruler in effigy

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