Definition

Noun: 1. A small, brightly colored bird: Any of numerous small, brightly colored birds found in Central and South America, characterized by short bills and elaborate courtship displays. 2. A mannequin; a dummy: A life-sized model of a human body, used to display or fit clothing. 3. A fashion model (archaic): A person, especially a woman, who models clothes by wearing them.

Usage and Examples

• Meaning 1 (Bird):
  • The male manakin performs an intricate dance to attract a mate.
  • Birdwatchers travel to the rainforest hoping to see the colorful manakin.
• Meaning 2 (Mannequin):
  • The store window featured a manakin wearing the new summer collection.
  • The tailor adjusted the dress on the manakin before the final fitting.
• Meaning 3 (Model - Archaic):
  • In the 19th century, she worked as a manakin for a Parisian designer. (This usage is now rare and largely replaced by "mannequin" or "model").

Advanced Usage and Notes

• The spelling "manakin" for the dummy or model is a variant of the more common spelling "mannequin." In modern English, "mannequin" is the standard spelling for meanings 2 and 3.
• The word for the bird is almost exclusively spelled "manakin."
• The archaic use of "manakin" for a live model highlights the historical connection between the static display dummy and the living person who demonstrates clothing.

Variants and Related Words

• Mannequin (n.): The standard modern spelling for a display dummy or a live model in the fashion industry.
• Model (n.): A person who poses for an artist or displays clothes by wearing them.
• Dummy (n.): A model of a human figure, often used for display or practice.

Synonyms

• For the bird: (No direct common synonym; it is a specific family of birds, ).
• For the dummy: mannequin, dummy, figure, form.
• For the model (archaic): mannequin, model, fashion model.

Idioms and Phrases

• (This specific word does not commonly appear in English idioms or phrasal verbs.)

Noun

1. any of numerous small bright-colored birds of Central America and South America having short bills and elaborate courtship behavior
2. a life-size dummy used to display clothes
3. a woman who wears clothes to display fashions
   • she was too fat to be a mannequin