A candidate put forward to divide the Opposition or to mask the true candidate.

Roget 64: precursor, antecedent, precedent, predecessor; forerunner, vancourier^†, avant-coureur [Fr.], pioneer, prodrome^†, prodromos^†, prodromus^†, outrider; leader, bellwether; herald, harbinger; foreboding; dawn; avant-courier, avant-garde, bellmare^†, forelooper^†, foreloper^†, stalking-horse, voorlooper [Afrik.], voortrekker [Afrik.].    prelude, preamble, preface, prologue, foreword, avant-propos [Fr.], protasis^†, proemium^†, prolusion^†, proem, prolepsis [Gramm.], prolegomena, prefix, introduction; heading, frontispiece, groundwork; preparation etc. 673; overture, exordium [Lat.], symphony; premises.    prefigurement etc. 511; omen etc. 512.    ... show more

Something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason.

synonym: pretext.

Roget 617: pretext, pretense, pretension, plea^†; allegation, advocation; ostensible motive, ostensible ground, ostensible reason, phony reason; excuse etc. (vindication) 937; subterfuge; color; gloss, guise, cover.    loop hole, starting hole; how to creep out of, salvo, come off; way of escape.    handle, peg to hang on, room locus standi [Lat.]; stalking-horse, cheval de bataille [Fr.], cue.    pretense etc. (untruth) 546; put off, dust thrown in the eyes; blind; moonshine; mere pretext, shallow pretext; lame excuse, lame apology; tub to a whale; false plea, sour grapes; makeshift, shift, white lie; special pleading etc. (sophistry) 477; soft sawder etc. (flattery) 933^†.    ... show more

Dutch: smoes, voorwendsel, dekmantel
Polish: pretekst

Screen consisting of a figure of a horse behind which a hunter hides while stalking game.

A horse behind which a hunter hides while stalking game.