spauracchio — meaning in English

English meaning

• bogeyman noun An imaginary monster used to frighten children into good behavior.
• scarecrow noun A figure made to look human, dressed in old clothes and set up in a field to frighten birds away from crops.

Senses

spauracchio is used for these senses in English:

• bogeyman (by extension) Any make-believe threat, especially one used to intimidate or distract; a real threat greatly exaggerated for those purposes.
• scarecrow An effigy, typically made of straw and dressed in old clothes, fixed to a pole in a field to deter birds from eating crops or seeds planted there. [from 1530s]

bogeyman — full definition

1. noun An imaginary monster used to frighten children into good behavior.
2. noun Any exaggerated threat used to frighten or manipulate people.

scarecrow — full definition

1. noun A figure made to look human, dressed in old clothes and set up in a field to frighten birds away from crops.
2. noun A very thin, awkward, or raggedly dressed person.

Related Italian words