target

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”).

A target used forarchery

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Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈtɑɹɡɪt/, [ˈtʰɑɹɡɪt̚]

Audio (US)

Duration: 1 second.0:01

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtɑːɡɪt/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈtaːɡɪt/

Noun

target (plural targets)

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.

   Take careful aim at the target.

2. A goal or objective. [ quotations ▼]

   They have a target to finish the project by November.

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:
   1. A kind of small shield or buckler, used as a defensive weapon in war. [ quotations ▼]
   2. (obsolete) A shield resembling the Roman scutum, larger than the modern buckler. [ quotations ▼]
   3. (heraldry) A bearing representing a buckler. [ quotations ▼]
6. (sports) The pattern or arrangement of a series of hits made by a marksman on a butt or mark.

   He made a good target.

7. (surveying) The sliding crosspiece, or vane, on a leveling staff.
8. (rail transport) A conspicuous disk attached to a switch lever to show its position, or for use as a signal.
9. (cricket) the number of runs that the side batting last needs to score in the final innings in order to win
10. (linguistics) The tenor of a metaphor.
11. (mathematics, category theory) The codomain of a function; the object at which a morphism points. [ coordinate term ▲]

    Coordinate term: source

12. (translation studies) The translated version of a document, or the language into which translation occurs.

    Do you charge by source or target?

13. A person (or group of people) that a person or organization is trying to employ or to have as a customer, audience etc. [ quotations ▼]
14. (UK, dated) A thin cut; a slice; specifically, of lamb, a piece consisting of the neck and breast joints.
15. (Scotland, obsolete) A tassel or pendant. [ synonym ▲]

    Synonym: targe

16. (Scotland, obsolete) A shred; a tatter.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:goal
• (translated version): target language

Meronyms

• (sport): bull/bullseye, inner, magpie, outer

Coordinate terms

• (translated version): source