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fantoccio

puppet

noun fahn-TOHT-choh Rare

Also means

figurehead

Usage Note

Fantoccio literally means a puppet or rag doll, but figuratively it is used to describe a person who acts as a powerless front for someone else — a 'puppet' leader or figurehead. The plural is fantocci. In political discourse, governo fantoccio ('puppet government') is a common phrase. The double c before io is pronounced 'ch': fahn-TOT-choh.

Examples

"Il presidente era solo un fantoccio."

Natural Translation

The president was just a puppet.

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