scarecrow
n. countablen. a figure made of sticks and old clothes that looks like a person. Farmers put it in a field to frighten birds away from their crops.
n. an effigy, typically constructed from straw and discarded clothing, positioned in agricultural fields to deter avian pests from consuming seeds or ripening crops.
The farmer built a tall scarecrow to protect the corn.
Crows gathered on the fence, seemingly aware that the ragged scarecrow in the center of the field was not a real person.
The traditional scarecrow has largely been replaced by modern auditory deterrents and reflective tapes, though it remains a persistent symbol of rural life in folklore and autumn decorations.
The noun is derived from scare (“to frighten, startle, terrify”) + crow (“bird of the genus Corvus”). The word displaced other terms such as bogle (now dialectal, dated), sewel or shewel, and shoy-hoy (perhaps imitative of the cry of crows). The verb is derived from the noun.