marionette
noun
- puppet controlled from above using wires or strings
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˌmæɹi.əˈnɛt/
noun
Etymology: Borrowed from French marionnette. The word had originally meant a small statue of the Virgin Mary, then also a puppet of her used in religious theatrical presentations, finally generalised to any puppet.
- A puppet, usually made of wood, which is animated by the pulling of strings.
“If you think we are worked by strings, Like a Japanese marionette, You don't understand these things: It is simply Court etiquette.”
- The buffel duck.
verb
Etymology: Borrowed from French marionnette. The word had originally meant a small statue of the Virgin Mary, then also a puppet of her used in religious theatrical presentations, finally generalised to any puppet.
- To control (somebody) as if they were a puppet; to manipulate.