Noun: stalking-horse 'sto-king,hors
- Something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason
"The charity event was just a stalking-horse for his political ambitions";
- pretext
- A candidate put forward to divide the Opposition or to mask the true candidate
"The party used a stalking-horse to split the vote and ensure their victory"
- A horse behind which a hunter hides while stalking game
"The hunter used the stalking-horse to approach the wary deer undetected"
- Screen consisting of a figure of a horse behind which a hunter hides while stalking game
"The hunter crouched behind the stalking-horse to approach the wary deer"
Derived forms: stalking-horses
Type of: campaigner, candidate, concealment, cover, covert, dissembling, Equus caballus, horse, hoss [US, informal], nominee, pretence [Brit, Cdn], pretense [N. Amer], screen
Encyclopedia: Stalking-horse