Also 7 quoy-. [f. COY sb.1 + DUCK: cf. Du. kooieend.]
1. A duck trained to entice wild-fowl in a decoy; = DECOY-DUCK.
1621–51. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. ii. IV. 268. Fowling … with lime, nets, glades … coy-ducks.
a. 1625. Boys, Wks. (1629), 389. To bring game to his snare by a stale or quoy duck.
1644. K. Digby, Nat. Bodies, xxxvii. (1658), 393. Coyducks are beaten and whipped to what they are taught, like setting dogs.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Coy-duck, a duck trained to entice others into the tunnel in a decoy.
1877. in E. Peacock, N. W. Linc. Gloss.
2. transf. A person who entices others, one who leads the way.
1654. in Dorothy Osborne’s Lett. (1889), 287. A couple of coy-ducks drew in the rest.
1661. Sir H. Vane’s Politicks, 8. Niether the diving-brain of the Protectour … nor his coy-duck Thurloe.
1888. W. Somerset Word-bk., Coy-duck, an enticer, a snare. A very common name for pretty barmaids.
Hence Coy-duck v. dial., to entice.
1888. W. Somerset Word-bk., s.v., ‘They’ll coy-duck ’em away.’
1891. Aubyn Battye, in Longm. Mag., Nov., 83. (Kentish woman says) ‘’Tis the other chaps as coyduckses him away.’
