A puppet controlled by strings from above, or a person who seems to have no control over their own actions.
From French 'marionnette,' diminutive of 'Marion,' a common female name used for these dolls, possibly derived from the Virgin Mary. The word spread through Europe in the 17th century as puppet theater became popular.
Marionettes were originally called 'little Marys' after statues of the Virgin Mary, and traveling puppet shows used them to tell religious stories in medieval Europe—entertainment and theology combined in one dangling doll!
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