# stooge

> English word · Noun · IPA /stuːd͡ʒ/ · frequency rank #40,464

## Definitions
1. One who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit; a dupe.
2. A magician's assistant who pretends to be a member of the audience.
3. A straight man.
4. A secret informant for police.
5. A confederate; a person who is secretly working for the researcher, unknown to the study participant.

## Etymology
Perhaps an abbreviation of Russian студе́нт (studént) [stʊˈdʲent]; the original meaning was “stage assistant, actor who assists a comedian”. It may have been a Yiddish vaudeville term.

## Easily confused with
- **store** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stooge-vs-store)
- **stove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stooge-vs-stove)
- **stool** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stooge-vs-stool)
- **stoop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stooge-vs-stoop)
- **Stowe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stooge-vs-stowe)
- **stroke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stooge-vs-stroke)
- **strode** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stooge-vs-strode)
- **strobe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stooge-vs-strobe)
- **strove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stooge-vs-strove)
- **storage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stooge-vs-storage)
- **stooped** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stooge-vs-stooped)
- **stage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stage-vs-stooge)
- **stone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stone-vs-stooge)
- **stood** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stood-vs-stooge)
- **stole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stole-vs-stooge)
- **stoke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stoke-vs-stooge)
- **sponge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sponge-vs-stooge)
- **snooze** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snooze-vs-stooge)
- **scrooge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scrooge-vs-stooge)

## Common misspellings (8)
`sotoge`, `sstooge`, `stoge`, `stogoe`, `stooeg`, `stoogge`, `sttooge`, `tsooge`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/stooge