This article is from the Star Trek Tech FAQ, by Joshua Bell inexorabletash@hotmail.com with numerous contributions by others.
A 'meat puppet' is a old term resurrected to describe a replicated
humanoid form created on the Holodeck, and dragged around by force
beams. If the force beams failed, you'd be left with a limp, lifeless
body.
(This dates back to before we'd ever heard of Holodeck-matter.
Creative, weren't we?)
 
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