target
target
UK[ˈtɑːɡɪt]US[ˈtɑːrɡɪt]
n
An object, person, or place that is deliberately chosen to be attacked or criticized.
n
A result that you try to achieve; an aim or goal.
v
To aim an attack or a criticism at a particular person, group, or thing.
v
To try to have an effect on a particular group of people or to achieve a particular result.
Etymology
The word 'target' has a martial history. It entered Middle English from the Old French 'targette', a diminutive of 'targe', meaning a light shield. This Old French term was itself borrowed from a Germanic source, likely Old Norse 'targa' meaning 'shield'. The original sense was thus a small round shield. By the late 16th century, the meaning shifted from the object used for defense to the object used for practice in offense, referring to the mark or board set up for archery or shooting practice. This evolution from a defensive shield to an object of aim provides the logical bridge to its modern abstract meanings of a goal or an object of criticism.
Analysis
The word 'target' is a simplex word. It entered English as a whole unit from Old French. Its ultimate origin is traced to a Germanic root.
Examples
The missile successfully hit its intended target.
The company has set ambitious sales targets for the next quarter.
The new policy has been targeted by environmental groups.