mannequin

Have you ever walked past a shop window and noticed the quiet human-shaped figures wearing the latest styles? Those are mannequins. They are made to show clothes, shoes, or accessories in a way that helps people imagine how the items might look on a real person. Some look very realistic, while others are simple or artistic. The word comes through French from Dutch manneken, meaning "little man."

A mannequin is usually a life-sized human figure used to display clothing and accessories in shops, store windows, and fashion spaces. It helps customers see how a shirt, dress, coat, or other item may look when worn. Some mannequins are realistic, with faces, hair, and natural body shapes, while others are smooth, abstract, or stylized. You might see one standing in a window wearing a new seasonal outfit, or lined up inside a store to show different sizes and looks.

The word can also appear in fashion history and older usage to mean a model who shows clothing, though that meaning is less common today. In some technical contexts, a related spelling, manikin, is often used for a training or medical model. Because of that, it is helpful to keep the main everyday meaning clear: in modern English, a mannequin is usually the human-shaped display figure used for clothes.

The term came into English through French, from Dutch manneken, meaning "little man." That history fits the image well: a small human form standing still while the clothes do the talking. Whether it is realistic or artistic, simple or detailed, the word mannequin usually brings to mind the silent figure in a shop that helps fashion come to life.