Advertisement

Origin and history of target

target(n.)

c. 1300, "light shield," typically small and round, diminutive of late Old English targe and directly from Old French targete "light shield" (12c.), from Frankish or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *targ- (source also of Old High German zarga "edging, border," German zarge "border, edge, frame," Old English targe, Old Norse targa "shield, buckler"), perhaps originally "edge of a shield."

The meaning "round object to be aimed at in shooting" is recorded by 1757, originally in archery, perhaps suggested by the shape and the concentric circles in both. Figuratively, "that at which observation is aimed."

Target-practice is attested from 1801. Target audience is by 1951; early reference is to Cold War psychological warfare.

target(v.)

"to use as a target," 1837, from target (n.). Earlier it meant "protect with or as with a shield" (1610s), but this is obsolete. The earlier verb was targen "to shield, protect with a targe" (mid-15c.), from Old French targier.

Targeter "guard armed with a shield" is attested from late 14c., from the noun. Targeted is attested from 1650s as "furnished or armed with a defensive shield;" by 1965 as "designated or chosen as a target;" by 1969 as "given a target." Related: Targeting.

also from 1837

Entries linking to target

off-target(adj.)

"missing what was aimed at," 1947 (in reference to missiles), from off (prep.) + target (n.).

targe(n.)

"shield, buckler," typically small and round, late Old English, from Old French targe, perhaps via Frankish *targa or Medieval Latin targa, from Germanic (see target (n.)). Old English had a native form targe, but the soft -g- in the later word suggests it was borrowed from French.

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    aim
    c. 1300, "to estimate (number or size), calculate, count," senses now obsolete, from Old French aesmer, esmer (Old North French amer) "to value, rate; count, estimate," ultimately from Latin aestimare "appraise, determine the value of" (see esteem (v.)). The meaning in English ap
    object
    late 14c., "tangible thing, something perceived with or presented to the senses," from Old French object and directly from Medieval Latin obiectum "thing put before" (the mind or sight), noun use of neuter of Latin obiectus "lying before, opposite" (as a noun in classical Latin,
    point-blank
    .) + blank (n.), here meaning the white center of a target....But early references make no mention of a white target, and the phrase is possibly from a simplification of the French phrase...
    scope
    play," also literal (1550s), "room to move in, space;" from Italian scopo "aim, purpose, object; thing aimed at, mark, target...," from Latin scopus, from Greek skopos "aim, target, object of attention;" also "watcher, one who watches," which according...
    quintain
    "target for tilting and jousting practice," c. 1400 (in Anglo-Latin from mid-13c.), from Old French quintaine or directly...
    stochastic
    stokhastikos "able to guess, conjecturing," from stokhazesthai "to guess, aim at, conjecture," from stokhos "a guess, aim, fixed target...
    address
    early 14c., "to guide, aim, or direct," from Old French adrecier "go straight toward; straighten, set right; point, direct" (13c.), from Vulgar Latin *addirectiare "make straight" (source also of Spanish aderezar, Italian addirizzare), from ad "to" (see ad-) + *directiare "make s
    post
    "a timber of considerable size set upright," from Old English post "pillar, doorpost," and from Old French post "post, upright beam," both from Latin postis "door, post, doorpost," in Medieval Latin "a beam, rod, pole," which is perhaps from Vulgar Latin *por- "forth," a variant
    spot
    c. 1200, "moral stain;" by mid-14c. as "speck, stain left by something on a surface;" probably at least in part from a variant of Old English splott "a spot, blot, patch (of land)," and partly from or related to Middle Dutch spotte "spot, speck." Other cognates are East Frisian s

    Share target

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near target
    Advertisement