1. a person or thing that looks exactly like another: informal"he is a dead ringer for his late papa"
▪ an athlete or horse fraudulently substituted for another in a competition or event: "it was discovered that the winning horse was a ringer"
▪ a person who is highly proficient at a particular skill or sport and is brought in to supplement a team or group of people: "league eligibility rules had grown flexible to accommodate new teams, and ringers began suiting up"