fan·toc·ci·ni \ˌfäntəˈchēnē, ˌfan-\noun plural Etymology: Italian, plural of fantoccino, diminutive of fantoccio doll, lay figure, aug. of fante servant, boy, child, from Latin infant-, infans infant — more at infant 1.: puppets moved by strings or mechanical devices 2.: puppet shows in which fantoccini are used