おとり

お

と

り

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

live decoy (hunting)

usually written using kana alone

Specifically a live animal used to lure game in hunting contexts.

猟りょう師しはおとりの鴨かもを使つかって野や生せいの鴨かもをおびき寄よせた。
The hunter used a live decoy duck to lure wild ducks.

noun

decoy; bait; lure; stool pigeon

usually written using kana alone

Extended figurative use: a person or thing used to lure someone into a trap, often in criminal or undercover contexts.

警けい察さつはおとりを使つかって犯はん人にんをおびき出だした。
The police used a decoy to lure out the criminal.
詐さ欺ぎグループはおとりとして偽にせの投とう資し話ばなしを持もちかけた。
The fraud ring used a fake investment story as bait.

See all 14 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉をおとりにするto use someone as a decoy/bait
警けい察さつは彼かれを囮おとりにして犯はん人にんをおびき出だした。
The police used him as bait to lure out the culprit.
おとり捜そう査さを行おこなうto carry out a sting/decoy investigation
警けい察さつはおとり捜そう査さを行おこなって麻ま薬やく密みつ売ばい人にんを逮たい捕ほした。
The police carried out a sting operation and arrested the drug dealer.
〈物もの〉をおとりに使つかうto use an animal or thing as a decoy
猟りょう師しは鳥とりをおとりに使つかって仲なか間まを呼よび寄よせた。
The hunter used the bird as a decoy to draw its companions in.

Kanji

囮decoy, lure, stool pigeon
媒mediator, go-between
鳥bird, chicken

Related words

餌えさN4sense 1
餌 is food used to attract an animal, whereas 囮 can be a live animal, object, or even a person used to lure a target.

Don't confuse with

罠わなN1
罠 is the physical trap or snare itself, while 囮 is the living bait or decoy used to lure the prey into it.

Written forms

おとりUsage50%
Usually written in kana; the kanji 囮 is also used but less common.
囮おとりUsage41%
Kanji form; recognized but less frequent than kana.
オトリUsage9%
search-only kana form
媒鳥おとり
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form, literally 'decoy bird'.

Etymology

Derived from the verb おとる (to lure, to decoy). The kanji 囮 is a kokuji (Japanese-made character) combining 口 (mouth) and 化 (change, transform), suggesting something that transforms or deceives through the mouth (call).