| 1. | a mass of straw formed to resemble a man, as for a doll or scarecrow. |
| 2. | a person whose importance or function is only nominal, as to cover another's activities; front. |
| 3. | a fabricated or conveniently weak or innocuous person, object, matter, etc., used as a seeming adversary or argument: The issue she railed about was no more than a straw man. |
| straw man n.
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A made-up version of an opponent's argument that can easily be defeated. To accuse people of attacking a straw man is to suggest that they are avoiding worthier opponents and more valid criticisms of their own position: “His speech had emotional appeal, but it wasn't really convincing because he attacked a straw man rather than addressing the real issues.”