English Explanatory Dictionary

target

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A butt or mark to shoot at, as for practice, or to test the accuracy of a firearm, or the force of a projectile.
  2. A goal or objective.
  3. An object of criticism or ridicule.
  4. A person, place, or thing that is frequently attacked, criticized, or ridiculed.
  5. A kind of shield:
  6. A kind of small shield or buckler, used as a defensive weapon in war.
  7. A shield resembling the Roman scutum, larger than the modern buckler.
  8. A bearing representing a buckler.
  9. The pattern or arrangement of a series of hits made by a marksman on a butt or mark.
  10. The sliding crosspiece, or vane, on a leveling staff.
  11. A conspicuous disk attached to a switch lever to show its position, or for use as a signal.
  12. the number of runs that the side batting last needs to score in the final innings in order to win
verb
  1. To aim something, especially a weapon, at (a target).
  2. To aim for as an audience or demographic.
  3. To produce code suitable for.

Pronunciation

/ˈtɑː.ɡɪt/ [ˈtʰɑː.ɡɪt] LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-target.wav /ˈtɑɹ.ɡɪt/ [ˈtʰɑɹ.ɡɪt] en-us-target.ogg /ˈtɐː.ɡɪt/ [ˈtʰɐː.ɡɪt] en-au-target.ogg /ˈtɐː.ɡət/ [ˈtʰɐː.ɡət] /ʈɑ(r).ɡɛʈ/ /-dʒɛʈ/

Word forms

target targets targeting targetting targeted targetted

Etymology

From Middle French targette, targuete, diminutive of targe (“light shield”), from Old French, from Frankish *targa (“buckler”), akin to Old Norse targa (“small round shield”) (whence also Old English targe, targa (“shield”)) from Proto-Germanic *targǭ (“edge”), from Proto-Indo-European *derǵʰ- (“fenced lot”). Akin to Old High German zarga (“side wall, rim”) (German Zarge (“frame”)), Spanish tarjeta (“card”).

Synonyms

target language targe

Derived words

antitarget apotarget autotarget biotarget digital target digitized target drop target easy target geotarget high-value target hypertarget immunotarget microtarget mistarget moving target multitarget non-target nontarget non-target-like off target off-target oncotarget on target phosphotarget point target pretarget retarget running target shot on target soft target spoke target stretch target subtarget target audience target cell target control target domain targeteer targeter target for tonight target girl target group targeting targetless target letter targetlike target-like target man target market target marketing target of opportunity targetoid targetome target practice target range target rating point target text target timing treat-to-target targetability
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