whipping boy

noun

University

1

A boy who was whipped in the stead of a misbehaving prince in early modern Europe.

2

Someone punished for the errors of others.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

Joe Soap escapegoat fall guy folk devil goat patsy sacrificial lamb scapegoat whipping boy

Related Words

chump chumpion cousin cull cully dotterel dupe easy mark fish horned goat

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