Emily Dickinson Lexicon

decoy (-ed, -ing, -s), v. [see coy, n.] (webplay: may, reach, snare).

1. Enchant; [with “spring” as subject] capture attention with bird song; [with “Bird” as subject] break forth into song; [word play on “coy”] abandon shyness; stop being coy.
2. Ensnare; [fig.] allure; captivate; [word order inversion] “In the afternoons, her teazing purples decoy the credulous.”
3. Catch; entrap; lure by artifice into a trap; [fig.] delay; detour; distract.