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A.Word.A.Day--stalking-horse

stalking-horse (STOK-ing-hors) noun

1. Something used to cover one's true purpose; a decoy.

2. A sham candidate put forward to conceal the candidacy of another or to divide the opposition.

3. A horse trained to conceal the hunter while stalking. A canvas screen made in the figure of a horse, used for similar concealment.

"The main parties in the 23 May Front are the leftist Combatant Clergy Society and the reformist Islamic Iran Participation Party. Both groups view Rafsanjani, who says he is an independent, as a stalking horse for rightwing factions opposed to Khatami." Khatami coalition weighs Rafsanjani role, Middle East Economic Digest, Jan 2000.

This week's theme: words about government, politics, and elections.

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