catspaw

/ˈkætsˌpɔ/
noun
  1. A person who is used by someone else to do something unpleasant or dangerous; a tool or dupe.
    • In the political scandal, the young aide was just a catspaw for the senator's ambitions.
    • The manager used the intern as a catspaw to deliver the bad news to the team.
    • He realized too late that he had been a catspaw in the corporate takeover.
  2. A light breeze that ripples the surface of water, often seen in calm weather.
    • The sailor pointed to a catspaw on the lake, a sign that the wind was picking up.
    • A sudden catspaw ruffled the reflection of the mountains in the river.
    • We watched a catspaw dance across the still water of the bay.
Antonyms
What does "catspaw" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean