effigy

noun — 2 senses

effigy

noun

/ˈɛfəd͡ʒi/

Etymology From French effigie, from Latin effigiēs (“likeness, effigy”), from effingō (“represent, portray”).

1

A dummy or other crude representation of a person, group or object that is hated.

  • In England on Bonfire Night, an effigy is often burned.
2

A likeness of a person.

  • All around, terrace by terrace, there went marble lawns well guarded by onyx lions and carved with effigies of all the gods striding amid the symbols of the worlds.1906, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], Time and the Gods, London: William Heineman, →OCLC, page 1:
  • There are two tombs, each bearing effigies of a knight and his lady. One is 14th century, the other 15th century. The earlier knight wears chain mail and his lady has long, flowing hair. The later knight has plate armour, and his wife wears a wimple.1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 54:
Synonyms
figure, image, picture
Derived terms
effigial, effigylike, in effigy, semi-effigy
Coordinate terms
caricature

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.