means The art of bringing inanimate figures to life through manipulation, telling stories with objects worked by hand, rod, or string.

from From "puppet," which traces back through Middle French "poupette" (a little doll) to Latin "pupa," meaning girl or doll — the same root that gives us "pupil" (the tiny figure of yourself reflected in someone's eye) and "pupa" (an insect in its doll-like cocoon stage). The "-ry" suffix marks it as a craft or practice, like "jewelry" or "archery." So at its heart, puppetry is simply the doing-of-dolls.