1.  straw man(n = noun.person) figurehead, front, front man, nominal head, strawman - a person used as a cover for some questionable activity;

2.  straw man(n = noun.communication) strawman - a weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted;

3.  straw man(n = noun.artifact) bird-scarer, scarecrow, scarer, strawman - an effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds;