fantoccini

English

Etymology

Italian, diminutive from fante child.

Noun

fantoccini (plural only)

1. Puppets caused to perform dramatic scenes by means of machinery.
   • 1861, Henry Mayhew, London labour and the London poor (page 61)

     A man of the name of Flocton from Birmingham was, to the best of my knowledge, the first that ever had a fantoccini exhibition in England; but he was only for theatres […]

2. The puppet shows in which they are used.

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.