Definition of target in English:

target

nounPlural targets ˈtɑːɡɪtˈtɑrɡət

1A person, object, or place selected as the aim of an attack.
the airport terminal was the target of a bomb
a military target
Example sentencesExamples
- Pakistan is forced to respond by launching air attacks on Indian military targets.
- My own definition is simple: an act of political violence committed against purely civilian targets is terrorism; attacks on military targets are not.
- A warning today about more possible bomb attacks against Western targets in Indonesia.
- Their attacks on military targets have failed spectacularly.
- But others, many still at large, were involved in plotting bomb attacks against Jewish targets in Western Europe.
- At first examination, the use of computer network attack against military targets to disrupt clearly military activities appears legal and ethical.
- Following their philosophy of using air power to attack military targets, the German bombers struck ports, airfields, and British fighter production.
- Recently there has been a rise in the number of attacks on US military targets and the first pitched battle between reconstituted former Taliban and American forces.
- Military targets were not attacked because of the fear of too much collateral damage; a euphemism for civilian casualties.
- Just two hours ago, allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait.
- The Pentagon has made a great deal of its claims to be attacking only military targets.
- He repeated a government and the men's family's belief that the two were not planning to attack targets in South Africa, as reported.
- We've seen quite a shift from attacks on civilian targets to stronger attacks on military targets, particularly in the last 10 days.
- Spokesmen who have defended the bombing have said that the civilian casualties are a regrettable but unavoidable side-effect of the attacks on military targets.
- Police have confirmed the blast was terrorist-related, while the MP for the area linked the incident to recent dissident attacks on other military targets in the area.
- As a huge fire raged in the south of the city, the US military said last night up to 1,000 targets would be attacked during the course of the night.
- The deaths of civilians are justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target.
- They say, in this case, they're only going after military targets, where attacks against coalition forces are being planned or weapons are being stored.
- You are allowed to attack a military target even if civilians are there.
- The same imaging sensors are used to help aid precision bomb attacks over enemy targets.
Synonyms
prey, quarry, game, kill, bag
1. 1.1 A mark or point at which one fires or aims, especially a round or rectangular board marked with concentric circles used in archery or shooting.
  Example sentencesExamples
  He did not have a save to make as the centre forward fired his penalty wide of the target.
  Imagine an archery target with two arrows sticking in the very centre of it.
  All the targets have 10 concentric rings with different points values, the inner ring being the bullseye and normally worth 10 points.
  The fire has cost them almost £2,000 in archery targets and stands.
  There were fencing arenas, croquet wickets, balls to toss at targets, archery ranges, horseshoes and stakes, tracks for footraces, and more.
  After retrieving his bow and walking over to where the old archery targets were set up, he stretched a bit and tried a few warm up shots.
  I had visions of hearing the thrum of the tense bowstring as I unleashed an arrow at an archery target.
  He took up a bow and arrows, then quickly began to fire them at the target.
  Someone had actually found a bow and a few arrows, and a homemade target and shooting range had actually been set up.
  After 12 years in the business, the company added a second division: 3-D archery targets.
  Once the initial round of shooting is completed the top six come together to fire at a further 25 targets, and the aggregate highest scorer is the winner.
  They were standing next to a ring in which servants were setting up the targets for the archery contest.
  The coloured posts mark the shooting position for each target and should be marked with the number of arrows to be shot from each post.
  Given his one genuine sight of goal in the first half, he hit the goalkeeper rather than the target.
  The 50-lane archery complex has movable targets allowing for training at distances up to 90 meters.
  It's surrounded by parkland, fields, woods, horses, a cricket pitch and the paraphernalia of sports including archery targets near the track.
  Once an archer downed a target, he nocked an arrow while relocating to another firing site.
  The sun began to slide down toward the west end of the sky as they were setting up targets for their archery contest.
  Exaggerate your follow through by keeping your sight on the target and your shooting arm up until the ball reaches the basket.
  Eventually we continued on our way, past gently rolling hills and archery targets in a field.
  Synonyms
  mark, bullseye, goal, aim
2. 1.2 An objective or result towards which efforts are directed.
  the car met its sales target in record time
  Example sentencesExamples
  But when a company is not solidly established in any of the numerous markets, lay-offs are the inevitable result of not meeting targets.
  Failure to meet these targets could result in big fines.
  There are targets set around sales and those targets have to be met.
  Failure to meet specified targets could result in the coach's dismissal.
  The trading statement, which will cover the first two months of the quarter, will be an important step in the market's assessment on whether the company can meet its sales targets for the year.
  In the large state-owned mines, safety regulations are flouted to meet production targets, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
  National Wind Power said: "Wind energy will make an important contribution towards meeting these targets."
  Some 80 per cent of car producers in China admitted they will not meet their sales targets for this year, mainland media reported last week.
  For the Executive, it should be a rosy picture of a booming new industry that will go a long way towards meeting its environmental targets and cement its green credentials with the voting public.
  It has also significantly cut its own prices for broadband, and claims to be making in-roads towards meeting its ambitious targets for users.
  For the third year running, what educationalists call the Key Stage Two test results have shown no progress towards the targets set when Labour came to power.
  Energetic fundraisers have gone a long way towards meeting their target and well ahead of time, too, because work on the church has to be delayed.
  We have got to sweep away the system that has failed and devise a totally new one - designed and directed towards achieving Olympic targets.
  High levels of emergency admissions, soaring drug budgets, desperate efforts to meet Government targets and the costs of major pay deals have all contributed to the problems.
  Failure to meet these targets will result in a fine that will be passed on to the council it serves and then, inevitably, to council tax payers.
  Ongoing funding is dependent on objectives and targets being met.
  The software enables record labels to track usage for target marketing and sales efforts.
  And within five years I would expect to see the results meeting national targets.
  Over the years he invested thousands of pounds in his collection, which also embraced every other aspect of Avon, from catalogues to the special dinner services given to agents for meeting sales targets.
  The Environmental Protection Agency said Ireland was also far behind in its efforts to meet the targets set by the Kyoto Treaty.
  Synonyms
  objective, goal, object, aim, end, desired result
  plan, purpose, intention, intent, design, aspiration, ambition, ideal, hope, desire, wish, holy grail
3. 1.3 A person or thing against whom criticism or abuse is directed.
  they were the target for a wave of abuse from the press
  Example sentencesExamples
  In particular, the property tax has become a major target of public criticism, even leading to a movement for tax resistance.
  Britain's railways have come close to a standstill in recent weeks, and the industry is the target of unprecedented criticism.
  The Hazara were a special target for abuse under the former Taliban regime and, in the view of the tribunal, they are still at risk.
  I'll ask him why he's become the target of criticism for so many Republicans.
  They surely know they are going to be targets for abuse, so why do they do it?
  The report also reveals police and education officers were often the target of verbal abuse from the parents who were caught allowing their children to play truant.
  The president's popularity ratings are down to their pre-September 11 levels and he is a target for political criticism once more.
  Increasingly the poor and the uneducated - the most vulnerable sections of society - have become targets for police abuse.
  A pensioner has been forced out of his home in Portlaoise after becoming the target for verbal abuse and threats from a neighbour.
  He said that some Council officials might feel they would be abused or a target but he didn't believe any of the commissioners would do that.
  And then, when a third party defends the targets against the unfair criticisms, the critics seem upset.
  Ministers have allowed themselves to become the targets of criticism from both sides of the debate.
  Unlike some of the targets of media criticism, the media targets of blog criticism have ample means to publicly defend themselves.
  But it has been the target of international criticism for human rights abuses.
  Catholics are twice as likely as Protestants to be the targets of sectarian abuse and a third of all victims are police officers, according to the first ever detailed study of crimes linked to religious hatred in Scotland.
  The hours are anti-social, and drivers are often the targets of abuse - from frustrated passengers in the day and from drunks and vandals at night.
  You're legit targets for questions, criticism and condemnation.
  If the attacks on those who have come before are any guide, this will go on for some time and then subside as they find new targets on whom to vent their bile.
  In any society, critical analysis is important and every person is a fair target for constructive criticism.
  The sorting office had been the target of much criticism in recent months, following the implementation of a single-service delivery system.
  Synonyms
  victim, butt, scapegoat, dupe, recipient, focus, object, subject, fair game, Aunt Sally
4. 1.4Phonetics An idealization of the articulation of a speech sound, with reference to which actual utterances can be described.
  Example sentencesExamples
  The basic sound, or phoneme, is selected as a target for treatment.
  Identify the position of a target sound in a word.
  In experiment 9, a computer program was written to give the subjects the choice of selecting the target sound that they have heard, its position in the token and its adjacent vowel.
2historical A small round shield or buckler.
Example sentencesExamples
- Like the target, arm-straps link its maneuverability directly to the movement of the arm, so it is less versatile than a center-grip shield.
- It was soldiers armed with targets such as these under the command of Gonzalvo de Cordoba who defeated the Hapsburg-Valois pike formations in the Italian wars.
- Targets and bucklers are small shields known to have been used in later historical periods, although targets became larger in the Renaissance.
Synonyms
buckler

verbtargets, targeting, targetedˈtɑːɡɪtˈtɑrɡət

[with object]

1Select as an object of attention or attack.
two men were targeted by the attackers
Example sentencesExamples
- To target distributors directly, simply look for their names on product labels.
- The company will then target Britain and Europe, where the single currency will help simplify the franchise experience.
- The problem with the program is that it still primarily uses race as the qualifying factor, even if it targets a slightly narrower group among all those who claim native ancestry.
- All enemy vehicles can be destroyed with any weapon provided you target a key weak point and attack it enough times.
- He was not in the Alexandra Palace venue at the time of the attack, which had been clearly planned to target him.
- We will continue to crack down hard on organised immigration crime which targets the most vulnerable, the poorest and the young.
- Copyright enforces are pleased at the forthcoming introduction of law that allows them to target running pirate sites directly.
- This attack sensing and warning could target both inside the Army's networks and systems or out in the Internet itself.
- It has since been targeted by vandals and has been set on fire on numerous occasions.
- The criminals behind these attacks are constantly evolving their techniques and changing tactics to target a wider range of victims.
- In addition, many of these attacks seemed to target more than property.
- The comic directly targets several audience members in turn throughout his or her act.
- She adds that the project intends to target audiences that don't traditionally read books.
- I just hope they catch him before he targets anyone else.
- While squats and leg presses don't directly target the calves, they do rely on them for stability during heavier lifts.
- This comes at a time when private firms are targeting Scotland, offering instant access to a doctor.
- People chose to target me for my name, for my runners or whatever, you know, so I had to deal with things to survive.
- Abandoned cars left on private land are to be targeted by scrapper crews in Colchester.
- York City supporters are to target the FA in a double-pronged attack to highlight the plight of the club.
- An online store can offer a much bigger selection because it can target a much bigger audience.
Synonyms
pick out, single out, select, choose, decide on, earmark, fix on
attack, aim at, fire at
1. 1.1 Aim or direct (something)
  warheads were targeted on a European city
  Example sentencesExamples
  She believed that a return to the year 2000 budget level, with the money being targeted at those who had lost out in the changeover from a headage to an area based payment scheme, would go a long way to redressing the anomalies which had occurred.
  Work related to drug deaths in Scotland has been targeted at users who inject.
  In direct to consumer advertising, drug companies target advertisements for prescription drugs directly at the public.
  PH domains regulate protein targeting to membranes and thereby serve as membrane adapters.
  After being targeted to the thylakoid membrane, the D1 protein elongation and membrane insertion occur concomitantly.
  The distribution is initially targeted at desktop users although Addis says server components are included along with the release.
  Indeed, when he started his pursuit of him, Soviet missiles were still targeted on Western Europe.
  Packages targeted at business users will also be available in three different bands.
  A better way to make money may be to target advertising at those users.
  Synonyms
  aim, direct, level, intend, focus, position

Phrases

on target

1So as to hit or achieve the thing aimed at.
McGrath was on target with a header
the new police station is on target for a June opening
Example sentencesExamples
- He will also confound critics by claiming the economy is still on target to hit the growth forecasts he set out earlier this year.
- So it came as no surprise that the goal, as late as the 64th minute, came from the first decent shot on target by either side.
- They had precisely one shot on target, an optimistic punt from Hamed Namouchi from fully 40 yards.
- The company said it was on target for sales in excess of 100 million this year.
- It would be his side's only shot on target in the opening half, which is surely of grave concern to him.
- The bottom line was that the chances we created were very good but we didn't get enough goals or shots on target.
- My shots were on target and my game is improving with every match.
- The club development fundraising project is still on target for May.
- Spending by all government departments is still on target, as 680m earmarked for expenditure has not been spent yet.
- An inability to catch, throw or even roll the balls on target would affect the concentration and rhythm of the contestants.
- The team from Sofia never looked likely to score, recording just two shots on target in the course of the game.
Synonyms
accurate, precise, unerring, sure, true, on the mark
1. 1.1Accurately described or forecast; correct.
  the film is remarkably on target in its depiction of the English settlers' attitudes toward the New World
  as adjective his on-target observations
  Example sentencesExamples
  We found that Levitt's critique was largely on target.
  He provides really on-target tips for refining how teams should approach projects that are aiming for something new, something better.
  He consistently manages to give an on-target review in half the space that either of the NY Times guys do, with virtually no blather.
  Each of your points was valid and on target.
  The editorial is probably on-target except for one teensy detail.
  Please keep the terms of the argument at least vaguely on-target.
  I found myself shouting and cheering out loud for the pithiness of his metaphors and his on-target analysis.
  He says: "The comments are mostly on target."
  I began to feel my preconceptions were on target.
  Your assessment may be on target.
  Synonyms
  on schedule, on time, on track, on course

off target

1So as to miss or fail to achieve the thing aimed at.
his shot was off-target
the programme to revolutionize primary care is years off target
as adjective two off-target bombs
Example sentencesExamples
- It was only 800 ft off target.
- Your goal should be to eliminate off-target movement of pesticides, no matter how small it may be.
- Greece narrowed its central government budget deficit by 37 percent in the first nine months of 2012, the finance ministry said on Thursday, but revenues were still off target.
- Carty went for a point and his off-target effort was kept in play by Sean Quinn who flicked it up for Niall Quinn and he punched the ball into the net.
- Many of his passes were way off target.
- Most of the troops dropped by airplane were thirty-five miles off target.
- Last year some 45% of hospitals missed the target, and so far this year 70% are off target.
- David Whittle had a half chance late in the first half but his shot from 25 yards was just off target.
- Good coverage depends on having very small droplets, although these are more readily blown off target by wind than large drops.
- Pierzynski is hitting the ball with authority, more than compensating for off-target throws to second base.
1. 1.1Not accurately described or predicted; incorrect.
  the original estimate was off target
  Example sentencesExamples
  Off-target campaign rhetoric is not limited to matters of war and peace.
  The official line is that the strategists lost their jobs in companywide downsizings that had nothing to do with off-target predictions.
  So that objection is simply off target.
  Forecasts that are grossly off target can do more than merely hamper efficiency.
  It is "off-target" to suggest that the best way to improve governance is by reducing government resources and responsibilities, the report adds.
  Unless I'm completely off-target here, he claims that the stuff we read or see in the foreign media isn't really how people feel, that the effect is superficial.
  Great care must be taken in estimating rental income as the agent's estimate may be well off target.
  That comparison seems pretty off target to me.
  Many of his predictions have been way off target.

Derivatives

targetable

adjective ˈtɑːɡɪtəb(ə)lˈtɑrɡədəb(ə)l

The aircraft would be vastly more effective against these sorts of targets if it delivered a large number of much smaller, individually targetable weapons.
Example sentencesExamples
- However, mass media's share of advertising is declining now as marketers boost spending on more targetable, narrowcast media.
- Digital marketing is non-linear, interactive, targetable, measurable, and most important, user-initiated - it puts user choice and personal preference at the forefront of the experience.
- Overlooked by campaigns as a luxury affordable by only the biggest national races, online advertising is now a highly targetable, viable option in just about any race.
- Each missile consists of ten independently targetable multiple re-entry vehicles (MIRV's), each with a 100 kt nuclear warhead.

Origin

Late Middle English (in sense 2 of the noun): diminutive of targe¹. The verb dates from the early 17th century.

Rhymes

margate

Definition of target in US English:

target

nounˈtärɡətˈtɑrɡət

1A person, object, or place selected as the aim of an attack.
Example sentencesExamples
- Following their philosophy of using air power to attack military targets, the German bombers struck ports, airfields, and British fighter production.
- You are allowed to attack a military target even if civilians are there.
- The Pentagon has made a great deal of its claims to be attacking only military targets.
- Recently there has been a rise in the number of attacks on US military targets and the first pitched battle between reconstituted former Taliban and American forces.
- They say, in this case, they're only going after military targets, where attacks against coalition forces are being planned or weapons are being stored.
- The deaths of civilians are justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target.
- We've seen quite a shift from attacks on civilian targets to stronger attacks on military targets, particularly in the last 10 days.
- As a huge fire raged in the south of the city, the US military said last night up to 1,000 targets would be attacked during the course of the night.
- A warning today about more possible bomb attacks against Western targets in Indonesia.
- But others, many still at large, were involved in plotting bomb attacks against Jewish targets in Western Europe.
- Military targets were not attacked because of the fear of too much collateral damage; a euphemism for civilian casualties.
- He repeated a government and the men's family's belief that the two were not planning to attack targets in South Africa, as reported.
- Police have confirmed the blast was terrorist-related, while the MP for the area linked the incident to recent dissident attacks on other military targets in the area.
- Just two hours ago, allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait.
- At first examination, the use of computer network attack against military targets to disrupt clearly military activities appears legal and ethical.
- Spokesmen who have defended the bombing have said that the civilian casualties are a regrettable but unavoidable side-effect of the attacks on military targets.
- The same imaging sensors are used to help aid precision bomb attacks over enemy targets.
- My own definition is simple: an act of political violence committed against purely civilian targets is terrorism; attacks on military targets are not.
- Pakistan is forced to respond by launching air attacks on Indian military targets.
- Their attacks on military targets have failed spectacularly.
Synonyms
prey, quarry, game, kill, bag
1. 1.1 A mark or point at which someone fires or aims, especially a round or rectangular board marked with concentric circles used in archery or shooting.
  Example sentencesExamples
  The fire has cost them almost £2,000 in archery targets and stands.
  After retrieving his bow and walking over to where the old archery targets were set up, he stretched a bit and tried a few warm up shots.
  Once the initial round of shooting is completed the top six come together to fire at a further 25 targets, and the aggregate highest scorer is the winner.
  There were fencing arenas, croquet wickets, balls to toss at targets, archery ranges, horseshoes and stakes, tracks for footraces, and more.
  He did not have a save to make as the centre forward fired his penalty wide of the target.
  Once an archer downed a target, he nocked an arrow while relocating to another firing site.
  After 12 years in the business, the company added a second division: 3-D archery targets.
  All the targets have 10 concentric rings with different points values, the inner ring being the bullseye and normally worth 10 points.
  It's surrounded by parkland, fields, woods, horses, a cricket pitch and the paraphernalia of sports including archery targets near the track.
  Given his one genuine sight of goal in the first half, he hit the goalkeeper rather than the target.
  Exaggerate your follow through by keeping your sight on the target and your shooting arm up until the ball reaches the basket.
  The coloured posts mark the shooting position for each target and should be marked with the number of arrows to be shot from each post.
  I had visions of hearing the thrum of the tense bowstring as I unleashed an arrow at an archery target.
  They were standing next to a ring in which servants were setting up the targets for the archery contest.
  Someone had actually found a bow and a few arrows, and a homemade target and shooting range had actually been set up.
  The 50-lane archery complex has movable targets allowing for training at distances up to 90 meters.
  The sun began to slide down toward the west end of the sky as they were setting up targets for their archery contest.
  He took up a bow and arrows, then quickly began to fire them at the target.
  Eventually we continued on our way, past gently rolling hills and archery targets in a field.
  Imagine an archery target with two arrows sticking in the very centre of it.
  Synonyms
  mark, bullseye, goal, aim
2. 1.2 An objective or result toward which efforts are directed.
  the car met its sales target in record time
  Example sentencesExamples
  The Environmental Protection Agency said Ireland was also far behind in its efforts to meet the targets set by the Kyoto Treaty.
  It has also significantly cut its own prices for broadband, and claims to be making in-roads towards meeting its ambitious targets for users.
  Some 80 per cent of car producers in China admitted they will not meet their sales targets for this year, mainland media reported last week.
  Failure to meet specified targets could result in the coach's dismissal.
  The software enables record labels to track usage for target marketing and sales efforts.
  We have got to sweep away the system that has failed and devise a totally new one - designed and directed towards achieving Olympic targets.
  For the Executive, it should be a rosy picture of a booming new industry that will go a long way towards meeting its environmental targets and cement its green credentials with the voting public.
  In the large state-owned mines, safety regulations are flouted to meet production targets, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
  But when a company is not solidly established in any of the numerous markets, lay-offs are the inevitable result of not meeting targets.
  For the third year running, what educationalists call the Key Stage Two test results have shown no progress towards the targets set when Labour came to power.
  There are targets set around sales and those targets have to be met.
  Failure to meet these targets will result in a fine that will be passed on to the council it serves and then, inevitably, to council tax payers.
  Over the years he invested thousands of pounds in his collection, which also embraced every other aspect of Avon, from catalogues to the special dinner services given to agents for meeting sales targets.
  Failure to meet these targets could result in big fines.
  Energetic fundraisers have gone a long way towards meeting their target and well ahead of time, too, because work on the church has to be delayed.
  Ongoing funding is dependent on objectives and targets being met.
  The trading statement, which will cover the first two months of the quarter, will be an important step in the market's assessment on whether the company can meet its sales targets for the year.
  High levels of emergency admissions, soaring drug budgets, desperate efforts to meet Government targets and the costs of major pay deals have all contributed to the problems.
  National Wind Power said: "Wind energy will make an important contribution towards meeting these targets."
  And within five years I would expect to see the results meeting national targets.
  Synonyms
  objective, goal, object, aim, end, desired result
3. 1.3 A person or thing against whom criticism or abuse is or may be directed.
  Example sentencesExamples
  Britain's railways have come close to a standstill in recent weeks, and the industry is the target of unprecedented criticism.
  Catholics are twice as likely as Protestants to be the targets of sectarian abuse and a third of all victims are police officers, according to the first ever detailed study of crimes linked to religious hatred in Scotland.
  But it has been the target of international criticism for human rights abuses.
  The sorting office had been the target of much criticism in recent months, following the implementation of a single-service delivery system.
  They surely know they are going to be targets for abuse, so why do they do it?
  Ministers have allowed themselves to become the targets of criticism from both sides of the debate.
  The report also reveals police and education officers were often the target of verbal abuse from the parents who were caught allowing their children to play truant.
  He said that some Council officials might feel they would be abused or a target but he didn't believe any of the commissioners would do that.
  The president's popularity ratings are down to their pre-September 11 levels and he is a target for political criticism once more.
  In any society, critical analysis is important and every person is a fair target for constructive criticism.
  Increasingly the poor and the uneducated - the most vulnerable sections of society - have become targets for police abuse.
  If the attacks on those who have come before are any guide, this will go on for some time and then subside as they find new targets on whom to vent their bile.
  The hours are anti-social, and drivers are often the targets of abuse - from frustrated passengers in the day and from drunks and vandals at night.
  And then, when a third party defends the targets against the unfair criticisms, the critics seem upset.
  I'll ask him why he's become the target of criticism for so many Republicans.
  A pensioner has been forced out of his home in Portlaoise after becoming the target for verbal abuse and threats from a neighbour.
  You're legit targets for questions, criticism and condemnation.
  In particular, the property tax has become a major target of public criticism, even leading to a movement for tax resistance.
  Unlike some of the targets of media criticism, the media targets of blog criticism have ample means to publicly defend themselves.
  The Hazara were a special target for abuse under the former Taliban regime and, in the view of the tribunal, they are still at risk.
  Synonyms
  victim, butt, scapegoat, dupe, recipient, focus, object, subject, fair game, aunt sally
4. 1.4Phonetics An idealization of the articulation of a speech sound, with reference to which actual utterances can be described.
  Example sentencesExamples
  In experiment 9, a computer program was written to give the subjects the choice of selecting the target sound that they have heard, its position in the token and its adjacent vowel.
  Identify the position of a target sound in a word.
  The basic sound, or phoneme, is selected as a target for treatment.
2historical A small round shield or buckler.
Example sentencesExamples
- Like the target, arm-straps link its maneuverability directly to the movement of the arm, so it is less versatile than a center-grip shield.
- It was soldiers armed with targets such as these under the command of Gonzalvo de Cordoba who defeated the Hapsburg-Valois pike formations in the Italian wars.
- Targets and bucklers are small shields known to have been used in later historical periods, although targets became larger in the Renaissance.
Synonyms
buckler

verbˈtärɡətˈtɑrɡət

[with object]usually be targeted

1Select as an object of attention or attack.
two men were targeted by the attackers
Example sentencesExamples
- While squats and leg presses don't directly target the calves, they do rely on them for stability during heavier lifts.
- This comes at a time when private firms are targeting Scotland, offering instant access to a doctor.
- I just hope they catch him before he targets anyone else.
- The problem with the program is that it still primarily uses race as the qualifying factor, even if it targets a slightly narrower group among all those who claim native ancestry.
- In addition, many of these attacks seemed to target more than property.
- All enemy vehicles can be destroyed with any weapon provided you target a key weak point and attack it enough times.
- An online store can offer a much bigger selection because it can target a much bigger audience.
- She adds that the project intends to target audiences that don't traditionally read books.
- To target distributors directly, simply look for their names on product labels.
- The criminals behind these attacks are constantly evolving their techniques and changing tactics to target a wider range of victims.
- York City supporters are to target the FA in a double-pronged attack to highlight the plight of the club.
- The comic directly targets several audience members in turn throughout his or her act.
- People chose to target me for my name, for my runners or whatever, you know, so I had to deal with things to survive.
- He was not in the Alexandra Palace venue at the time of the attack, which had been clearly planned to target him.
- It has since been targeted by vandals and has been set on fire on numerous occasions.
- Abandoned cars left on private land are to be targeted by scrapper crews in Colchester.
- This attack sensing and warning could target both inside the Army's networks and systems or out in the Internet itself.
- We will continue to crack down hard on organised immigration crime which targets the most vulnerable, the poorest and the young.
- Copyright enforces are pleased at the forthcoming introduction of law that allows them to target running pirate sites directly.
- The company will then target Britain and Europe, where the single currency will help simplify the franchise experience.
Synonyms
pick out, single out, select, choose, decide on, earmark, fix on
1. 1.1 Aim or direct (something)
  a significant nuclear capability targeted on the US
  Example sentencesExamples
  Indeed, when he started his pursuit of him, Soviet missiles were still targeted on Western Europe.
  After being targeted to the thylakoid membrane, the D1 protein elongation and membrane insertion occur concomitantly.
  A better way to make money may be to target advertising at those users.
  The distribution is initially targeted at desktop users although Addis says server components are included along with the release.
  In direct to consumer advertising, drug companies target advertisements for prescription drugs directly at the public.
  She believed that a return to the year 2000 budget level, with the money being targeted at those who had lost out in the changeover from a headage to an area based payment scheme, would go a long way to redressing the anomalies which had occurred.
  PH domains regulate protein targeting to membranes and thereby serve as membrane adapters.
  Work related to drug deaths in Scotland has been targeted at users who inject.
  Packages targeted at business users will also be available in three different bands.
  Synonyms
  aim, direct, level, intend, focus, position

Phrases

on target

1So as to hit or achieve the thing aimed at.
McGrath was on target with a header
the new police station is on target for a June opening
Example sentencesExamples
- Spending by all government departments is still on target, as 680m earmarked for expenditure has not been spent yet.
- He will also confound critics by claiming the economy is still on target to hit the growth forecasts he set out earlier this year.
- They had precisely one shot on target, an optimistic punt from Hamed Namouchi from fully 40 yards.
- The team from Sofia never looked likely to score, recording just two shots on target in the course of the game.
- The bottom line was that the chances we created were very good but we didn't get enough goals or shots on target.
- The company said it was on target for sales in excess of 100 million this year.
- It would be his side's only shot on target in the opening half, which is surely of grave concern to him.
- So it came as no surprise that the goal, as late as the 64th minute, came from the first decent shot on target by either side.
- The club development fundraising project is still on target for May.
- My shots were on target and my game is improving with every match.
- An inability to catch, throw or even roll the balls on target would affect the concentration and rhythm of the contestants.
Synonyms
accurate, precise, unerring, sure, true, on the mark
1. 1.1Accurately described or forecast; correct.
  the film is remarkably on target in its depiction of the English settlers' attitudes toward the New World
  as adjective his on-target observations
  Example sentencesExamples
  We found that Levitt's critique was largely on target.
  He consistently manages to give an on-target review in half the space that either of the NY Times guys do, with virtually no blather.
  Each of your points was valid and on target.
  Your assessment may be on target.
  I began to feel my preconceptions were on target.
  The editorial is probably on-target except for one teensy detail.
  He provides really on-target tips for refining how teams should approach projects that are aiming for something new, something better.
  I found myself shouting and cheering out loud for the pithiness of his metaphors and his on-target analysis.
  He says: "The comments are mostly on target."
  Please keep the terms of the argument at least vaguely on-target.
  Synonyms
  on schedule, on time, on track, on course

off target

1So as to miss or fail to achieve the thing aimed at.
his shot was off-target
as adjective two off-target bombs
Example sentencesExamples
- Most of the troops dropped by airplane were thirty-five miles off target.
- Greece narrowed its central government budget deficit by 37 percent in the first nine months of 2012, the finance ministry said on Thursday, but revenues were still off target.
- Good coverage depends on having very small droplets, although these are more readily blown off target by wind than large drops.
- It was only 800 ft off target.
- Pierzynski is hitting the ball with authority, more than compensating for off-target throws to second base.
- Carty went for a point and his off-target effort was kept in play by Sean Quinn who flicked it up for Niall Quinn and he punched the ball into the net.
- Your goal should be to eliminate off-target movement of pesticides, no matter how small it may be.
- David Whittle had a half chance late in the first half but his shot from 25 yards was just off target.
- Last year some 45% of hospitals missed the target, and so far this year 70% are off target.
- Many of his passes were way off target.
1. 1.1Not accurately described or predicted; incorrect.
  the original estimate was off target
  Example sentencesExamples
  So that objection is simply off target.
  Forecasts that are grossly off target can do more than merely hamper efficiency.
  Off-target campaign rhetoric is not limited to matters of war and peace.
  The official line is that the strategists lost their jobs in companywide downsizings that had nothing to do with off-target predictions.
  Unless I'm completely off-target here, he claims that the stuff we read or see in the foreign media isn't really how people feel, that the effect is superficial.
  Great care must be taken in estimating rental income as the agent's estimate may be well off target.
  Many of his predictions have been way off target.
  It is "off-target" to suggest that the best way to improve governance is by reducing government resources and responsibilities, the report adds.
  That comparison seems pretty off target to me.

Origin

Late Middle English (in target (sense 2 of the noun)): diminutive of targe. The verb dates from the early 17th century.

单词	target
释义	Definition of target in English: target nounPlural targets ˈtɑːɡɪtˈtɑrɡət 1A person, object, or place selected as the aim of an attack. the airport terminal was the target of a bomb a military target Example sentencesExamples Pakistan is forced to respond by launching air attacks on Indian military targets. My own definition is simple: an act of political violence committed against purely civilian targets is terrorism; attacks on military targets are not. A warning today about more possible bomb attacks against Western targets in Indonesia. Their attacks on military targets have failed spectacularly. But others, many still at large, were involved in plotting bomb attacks against Jewish targets in Western Europe. At first examination, the use of computer network attack against military targets to disrupt clearly military activities appears legal and ethical. Following their philosophy of using air power to attack military targets, the German bombers struck ports, airfields, and British fighter production. Recently there has been a rise in the number of attacks on US military targets and the first pitched battle between reconstituted former Taliban and American forces. Military targets were not attacked because of the fear of too much collateral damage; a euphemism for civilian casualties. Just two hours ago, allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait. The Pentagon has made a great deal of its claims to be attacking only military targets. He repeated a government and the men's family's belief that the two were not planning to attack targets in South Africa, as reported. We've seen quite a shift from attacks on civilian targets to stronger attacks on military targets, particularly in the last 10 days. Spokesmen who have defended the bombing have said that the civilian casualties are a regrettable but unavoidable side-effect of the attacks on military targets. Police have confirmed the blast was terrorist-related, while the MP for the area linked the incident to recent dissident attacks on other military targets in the area. As a huge fire raged in the south of the city, the US military said last night up to 1,000 targets would be attacked during the course of the night. The deaths of civilians are justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target. They say, in this case, they're only going after military targets, where attacks against coalition forces are being planned or weapons are being stored. You are allowed to attack a military target even if civilians are there. The same imaging sensors are used to help aid precision bomb attacks over enemy targets. Synonyms prey, quarry, game, kill, bag 1.1 A mark or point at which one fires or aims, especially a round or rectangular board marked with concentric circles used in archery or shooting. Example sentencesExamples He did not have a save to make as the centre forward fired his penalty wide of the target. Imagine an archery target with two arrows sticking in the very centre of it. All the targets have 10 concentric rings with different points values, the inner ring being the bullseye and normally worth 10 points. The fire has cost them almost £2,000 in archery targets and stands. There were fencing arenas, croquet wickets, balls to toss at targets, archery ranges, horseshoes and stakes, tracks for footraces, and more. After retrieving his bow and walking over to where the old archery targets were set up, he stretched a bit and tried a few warm up shots. I had visions of hearing the thrum of the tense bowstring as I unleashed an arrow at an archery target. He took up a bow and arrows, then quickly began to fire them at the target. Someone had actually found a bow and a few arrows, and a homemade target and shooting range had actually been set up. After 12 years in the business, the company added a second division: 3-D archery targets. Once the initial round of shooting is completed the top six come together to fire at a further 25 targets, and the aggregate highest scorer is the winner. They were standing next to a ring in which servants were setting up the targets for the archery contest. The coloured posts mark the shooting position for each target and should be marked with the number of arrows to be shot from each post. Given his one genuine sight of goal in the first half, he hit the goalkeeper rather than the target. The 50-lane archery complex has movable targets allowing for training at distances up to 90 meters. It's surrounded by parkland, fields, woods, horses, a cricket pitch and the paraphernalia of sports including archery targets near the track. Once an archer downed a target, he nocked an arrow while relocating to another firing site. The sun began to slide down toward the west end of the sky as they were setting up targets for their archery contest. Exaggerate your follow through by keeping your sight on the target and your shooting arm up until the ball reaches the basket. Eventually we continued on our way, past gently rolling hills and archery targets in a field. Synonyms mark, bullseye, goal, aim 1.2 An objective or result towards which efforts are directed. the car met its sales target in record time Example sentencesExamples But when a company is not solidly established in any of the numerous markets, lay-offs are the inevitable result of not meeting targets. Failure to meet these targets could result in big fines. There are targets set around sales and those targets have to be met. Failure to meet specified targets could result in the coach's dismissal. The trading statement, which will cover the first two months of the quarter, will be an important step in the market's assessment on whether the company can meet its sales targets for the year. In the large state-owned mines, safety regulations are flouted to meet production targets, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. National Wind Power said: "Wind energy will make an important contribution towards meeting these targets." Some 80 per cent of car producers in China admitted they will not meet their sales targets for this year, mainland media reported last week. For the Executive, it should be a rosy picture of a booming new industry that will go a long way towards meeting its environmental targets and cement its green credentials with the voting public. It has also significantly cut its own prices for broadband, and claims to be making in-roads towards meeting its ambitious targets for users. For the third year running, what educationalists call the Key Stage Two test results have shown no progress towards the targets set when Labour came to power. Energetic fundraisers have gone a long way towards meeting their target and well ahead of time, too, because work on the church has to be delayed. We have got to sweep away the system that has failed and devise a totally new one - designed and directed towards achieving Olympic targets. High levels of emergency admissions, soaring drug budgets, desperate efforts to meet Government targets and the costs of major pay deals have all contributed to the problems. Failure to meet these targets will result in a fine that will be passed on to the council it serves and then, inevitably, to council tax payers. Ongoing funding is dependent on objectives and targets being met. The software enables record labels to track usage for target marketing and sales efforts. And within five years I would expect to see the results meeting national targets. Over the years he invested thousands of pounds in his collection, which also embraced every other aspect of Avon, from catalogues to the special dinner services given to agents for meeting sales targets. The Environmental Protection Agency said Ireland was also far behind in its efforts to meet the targets set by the Kyoto Treaty. Synonyms objective, goal, object, aim, end, desired result plan, purpose, intention, intent, design, aspiration, ambition, ideal, hope, desire, wish, holy grail 1.3 A person or thing against whom criticism or abuse is directed. they were the target for a wave of abuse from the press Example sentencesExamples In particular, the property tax has become a major target of public criticism, even leading to a movement for tax resistance. Britain's railways have come close to a standstill in recent weeks, and the industry is the target of unprecedented criticism. The Hazara were a special target for abuse under the former Taliban regime and, in the view of the tribunal, they are still at risk. I'll ask him why he's become the target of criticism for so many Republicans. They surely know they are going to be targets for abuse, so why do they do it? The report also reveals police and education officers were often the target of verbal abuse from the parents who were caught allowing their children to play truant. The president's popularity ratings are down to their pre-September 11 levels and he is a target for political criticism once more. Increasingly the poor and the uneducated - the most vulnerable sections of society - have become targets for police abuse. A pensioner has been forced out of his home in Portlaoise after becoming the target for verbal abuse and threats from a neighbour. He said that some Council officials might feel they would be abused or a target but he didn't believe any of the commissioners would do that. And then, when a third party defends the targets against the unfair criticisms, the critics seem upset. Ministers have allowed themselves to become the targets of criticism from both sides of the debate. Unlike some of the targets of media criticism, the media targets of blog criticism have ample means to publicly defend themselves. But it has been the target of international criticism for human rights abuses. Catholics are twice as likely as Protestants to be the targets of sectarian abuse and a third of all victims are police officers, according to the first ever detailed study of crimes linked to religious hatred in Scotland. The hours are anti-social, and drivers are often the targets of abuse - from frustrated passengers in the day and from drunks and vandals at night. You're legit targets for questions, criticism and condemnation. If the attacks on those who have come before are any guide, this will go on for some time and then subside as they find new targets on whom to vent their bile. In any society, critical analysis is important and every person is a fair target for constructive criticism. The sorting office had been the target of much criticism in recent months, following the implementation of a single-service delivery system. Synonyms victim, butt, scapegoat, dupe, recipient, focus, object, subject, fair game, Aunt Sally 1.4Phonetics An idealization of the articulation of a speech sound, with reference to which actual utterances can be described. Example sentencesExamples The basic sound, or phoneme, is selected as a target for treatment. Identify the position of a target sound in a word. In experiment 9, a computer program was written to give the subjects the choice of selecting the target sound that they have heard, its position in the token and its adjacent vowel. 2historical A small round shield or buckler. Example sentencesExamples Like the target, arm-straps link its maneuverability directly to the movement of the arm, so it is less versatile than a center-grip shield. It was soldiers armed with targets such as these under the command of Gonzalvo de Cordoba who defeated the Hapsburg-Valois pike formations in the Italian wars. Targets and bucklers are small shields known to have been used in later historical periods, although targets became larger in the Renaissance. Synonyms buckler verbtargets, targeting, targetedˈtɑːɡɪtˈtɑrɡət [with object] 1Select as an object of attention or attack. two men were targeted by the attackers Example sentencesExamples To target distributors directly, simply look for their names on product labels. The company will then target Britain and Europe, where the single currency will help simplify the franchise experience. The problem with the program is that it still primarily uses race as the qualifying factor, even if it targets a slightly narrower group among all those who claim native ancestry. All enemy vehicles can be destroyed with any weapon provided you target a key weak point and attack it enough times. He was not in the Alexandra Palace venue at the time of the attack, which had been clearly planned to target him. We will continue to crack down hard on organised immigration crime which targets the most vulnerable, the poorest and the young. Copyright enforces are pleased at the forthcoming introduction of law that allows them to target running pirate sites directly. This attack sensing and warning could target both inside the Army's networks and systems or out in the Internet itself. It has since been targeted by vandals and has been set on fire on numerous occasions. The criminals behind these attacks are constantly evolving their techniques and changing tactics to target a wider range of victims. In addition, many of these attacks seemed to target more than property. The comic directly targets several audience members in turn throughout his or her act. She adds that the project intends to target audiences that don't traditionally read books. I just hope they catch him before he targets anyone else. While squats and leg presses don't directly target the calves, they do rely on them for stability during heavier lifts. This comes at a time when private firms are targeting Scotland, offering instant access to a doctor. People chose to target me for my name, for my runners or whatever, you know, so I had to deal with things to survive. Abandoned cars left on private land are to be targeted by scrapper crews in Colchester. York City supporters are to target the FA in a double-pronged attack to highlight the plight of the club. An online store can offer a much bigger selection because it can target a much bigger audience. Synonyms pick out, single out, select, choose, decide on, earmark, fix on attack, aim at, fire at 1.1 Aim or direct (something) warheads were targeted on a European city Example sentencesExamples She believed that a return to the year 2000 budget level, with the money being targeted at those who had lost out in the changeover from a headage to an area based payment scheme, would go a long way to redressing the anomalies which had occurred. Work related to drug deaths in Scotland has been targeted at users who inject. In direct to consumer advertising, drug companies target advertisements for prescription drugs directly at the public. PH domains regulate protein targeting to membranes and thereby serve as membrane adapters. After being targeted to the thylakoid membrane, the D1 protein elongation and membrane insertion occur concomitantly. The distribution is initially targeted at desktop users although Addis says server components are included along with the release. Indeed, when he started his pursuit of him, Soviet missiles were still targeted on Western Europe. Packages targeted at business users will also be available in three different bands. A better way to make money may be to target advertising at those users. Synonyms aim, direct, level, intend, focus, position Phrases on target 1So as to hit or achieve the thing aimed at. McGrath was on target with a header the new police station is on target for a June opening Example sentencesExamples He will also confound critics by claiming the economy is still on target to hit the growth forecasts he set out earlier this year. So it came as no surprise that the goal, as late as the 64th minute, came from the first decent shot on target by either side. They had precisely one shot on target, an optimistic punt from Hamed Namouchi from fully 40 yards. The company said it was on target for sales in excess of 100 million this year. It would be his side's only shot on target in the opening half, which is surely of grave concern to him. The bottom line was that the chances we created were very good but we didn't get enough goals or shots on target. My shots were on target and my game is improving with every match. The club development fundraising project is still on target for May. Spending by all government departments is still on target, as 680m earmarked for expenditure has not been spent yet. An inability to catch, throw or even roll the balls on target would affect the concentration and rhythm of the contestants. The team from Sofia never looked likely to score, recording just two shots on target in the course of the game. Synonyms accurate, precise, unerring, sure, true, on the mark 1.1Accurately described or forecast; correct. the film is remarkably on target in its depiction of the English settlers' attitudes toward the New World as adjective his on-target observations Example sentencesExamples We found that Levitt's critique was largely on target. He provides really on-target tips for refining how teams should approach projects that are aiming for something new, something better. He consistently manages to give an on-target review in half the space that either of the NY Times guys do, with virtually no blather. Each of your points was valid and on target. The editorial is probably on-target except for one teensy detail. Please keep the terms of the argument at least vaguely on-target. I found myself shouting and cheering out loud for the pithiness of his metaphors and his on-target analysis. He says: "The comments are mostly on target." I began to feel my preconceptions were on target. Your assessment may be on target. Synonyms on schedule, on time, on track, on course off target 1So as to miss or fail to achieve the thing aimed at. his shot was off-target the programme to revolutionize primary care is years off target as adjective two off-target bombs Example sentencesExamples It was only 800 ft off target. Your goal should be to eliminate off-target movement of pesticides, no matter how small it may be. Greece narrowed its central government budget deficit by 37 percent in the first nine months of 2012, the finance ministry said on Thursday, but revenues were still off target. Carty went for a point and his off-target effort was kept in play by Sean Quinn who flicked it up for Niall Quinn and he punched the ball into the net. Many of his passes were way off target. Most of the troops dropped by airplane were thirty-five miles off target. Last year some 45% of hospitals missed the target, and so far this year 70% are off target. David Whittle had a half chance late in the first half but his shot from 25 yards was just off target. Good coverage depends on having very small droplets, although these are more readily blown off target by wind than large drops. Pierzynski is hitting the ball with authority, more than compensating for off-target throws to second base. 1.1Not accurately described or predicted; incorrect. the original estimate was off target Example sentencesExamples Off-target campaign rhetoric is not limited to matters of war and peace. The official line is that the strategists lost their jobs in companywide downsizings that had nothing to do with off-target predictions. So that objection is simply off target. Forecasts that are grossly off target can do more than merely hamper efficiency. It is "off-target" to suggest that the best way to improve governance is by reducing government resources and responsibilities, the report adds. Unless I'm completely off-target here, he claims that the stuff we read or see in the foreign media isn't really how people feel, that the effect is superficial. Great care must be taken in estimating rental income as the agent's estimate may be well off target. That comparison seems pretty off target to me. Many of his predictions have been way off target. Derivatives targetable adjective ˈtɑːɡɪtəb(ə)lˈtɑrɡədəb(ə)l The aircraft would be vastly more effective against these sorts of targets if it delivered a large number of much smaller, individually targetable weapons. Example sentencesExamples However, mass media's share of advertising is declining now as marketers boost spending on more targetable, narrowcast media. Digital marketing is non-linear, interactive, targetable, measurable, and most important, user-initiated - it puts user choice and personal preference at the forefront of the experience. Overlooked by campaigns as a luxury affordable by only the biggest national races, online advertising is now a highly targetable, viable option in just about any race. Each missile consists of ten independently targetable multiple re-entry vehicles (MIRV's), each with a 100 kt nuclear warhead. Origin Late Middle English (in sense 2 of the noun): diminutive of targe¹. The verb dates from the early 17th century. Rhymes margate noun.1 phr. Definition of target in US English: target nounˈtärɡətˈtɑrɡət 1A person, object, or place selected as the aim of an attack. Example sentencesExamples Following their philosophy of using air power to attack military targets, the German bombers struck ports, airfields, and British fighter production. You are allowed to attack a military target even if civilians are there. The Pentagon has made a great deal of its claims to be attacking only military targets. Recently there has been a rise in the number of attacks on US military targets and the first pitched battle between reconstituted former Taliban and American forces. They say, in this case, they're only going after military targets, where attacks against coalition forces are being planned or weapons are being stored. The deaths of civilians are justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target. We've seen quite a shift from attacks on civilian targets to stronger attacks on military targets, particularly in the last 10 days. As a huge fire raged in the south of the city, the US military said last night up to 1,000 targets would be attacked during the course of the night. A warning today about more possible bomb attacks against Western targets in Indonesia. But others, many still at large, were involved in plotting bomb attacks against Jewish targets in Western Europe. Military targets were not attacked because of the fear of too much collateral damage; a euphemism for civilian casualties. He repeated a government and the men's family's belief that the two were not planning to attack targets in South Africa, as reported. Police have confirmed the blast was terrorist-related, while the MP for the area linked the incident to recent dissident attacks on other military targets in the area. Just two hours ago, allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait. At first examination, the use of computer network attack against military targets to disrupt clearly military activities appears legal and ethical. Spokesmen who have defended the bombing have said that the civilian casualties are a regrettable but unavoidable side-effect of the attacks on military targets. The same imaging sensors are used to help aid precision bomb attacks over enemy targets. My own definition is simple: an act of political violence committed against purely civilian targets is terrorism; attacks on military targets are not. Pakistan is forced to respond by launching air attacks on Indian military targets. Their attacks on military targets have failed spectacularly. Synonyms prey, quarry, game, kill, bag 1.1 A mark or point at which someone fires or aims, especially a round or rectangular board marked with concentric circles used in archery or shooting. Example sentencesExamples The fire has cost them almost £2,000 in archery targets and stands. After retrieving his bow and walking over to where the old archery targets were set up, he stretched a bit and tried a few warm up shots. Once the initial round of shooting is completed the top six come together to fire at a further 25 targets, and the aggregate highest scorer is the winner. There were fencing arenas, croquet wickets, balls to toss at targets, archery ranges, horseshoes and stakes, tracks for footraces, and more. He did not have a save to make as the centre forward fired his penalty wide of the target. Once an archer downed a target, he nocked an arrow while relocating to another firing site. After 12 years in the business, the company added a second division: 3-D archery targets. All the targets have 10 concentric rings with different points values, the inner ring being the bullseye and normally worth 10 points. It's surrounded by parkland, fields, woods, horses, a cricket pitch and the paraphernalia of sports including archery targets near the track. Given his one genuine sight of goal in the first half, he hit the goalkeeper rather than the target. Exaggerate your follow through by keeping your sight on the target and your shooting arm up until the ball reaches the basket. The coloured posts mark the shooting position for each target and should be marked with the number of arrows to be shot from each post. I had visions of hearing the thrum of the tense bowstring as I unleashed an arrow at an archery target. They were standing next to a ring in which servants were setting up the targets for the archery contest. Someone had actually found a bow and a few arrows, and a homemade target and shooting range had actually been set up. The 50-lane archery complex has movable targets allowing for training at distances up to 90 meters. The sun began to slide down toward the west end of the sky as they were setting up targets for their archery contest. He took up a bow and arrows, then quickly began to fire them at the target. Eventually we continued on our way, past gently rolling hills and archery targets in a field. Imagine an archery target with two arrows sticking in the very centre of it. Synonyms mark, bullseye, goal, aim 1.2 An objective or result toward which efforts are directed. the car met its sales target in record time Example sentencesExamples The Environmental Protection Agency said Ireland was also far behind in its efforts to meet the targets set by the Kyoto Treaty. It has also significantly cut its own prices for broadband, and claims to be making in-roads towards meeting its ambitious targets for users. Some 80 per cent of car producers in China admitted they will not meet their sales targets for this year, mainland media reported last week. Failure to meet specified targets could result in the coach's dismissal. The software enables record labels to track usage for target marketing and sales efforts. We have got to sweep away the system that has failed and devise a totally new one - designed and directed towards achieving Olympic targets. For the Executive, it should be a rosy picture of a booming new industry that will go a long way towards meeting its environmental targets and cement its green credentials with the voting public. In the large state-owned mines, safety regulations are flouted to meet production targets, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. But when a company is not solidly established in any of the numerous markets, lay-offs are the inevitable result of not meeting targets. For the third year running, what educationalists call the Key Stage Two test results have shown no progress towards the targets set when Labour came to power. There are targets set around sales and those targets have to be met. Failure to meet these targets will result in a fine that will be passed on to the council it serves and then, inevitably, to council tax payers. Over the years he invested thousands of pounds in his collection, which also embraced every other aspect of Avon, from catalogues to the special dinner services given to agents for meeting sales targets. Failure to meet these targets could result in big fines. Energetic fundraisers have gone a long way towards meeting their target and well ahead of time, too, because work on the church has to be delayed. Ongoing funding is dependent on objectives and targets being met. The trading statement, which will cover the first two months of the quarter, will be an important step in the market's assessment on whether the company can meet its sales targets for the year. High levels of emergency admissions, soaring drug budgets, desperate efforts to meet Government targets and the costs of major pay deals have all contributed to the problems. National Wind Power said: "Wind energy will make an important contribution towards meeting these targets." And within five years I would expect to see the results meeting national targets. Synonyms objective, goal, object, aim, end, desired result 1.3 A person or thing against whom criticism or abuse is or may be directed. Example sentencesExamples Britain's railways have come close to a standstill in recent weeks, and the industry is the target of unprecedented criticism. Catholics are twice as likely as Protestants to be the targets of sectarian abuse and a third of all victims are police officers, according to the first ever detailed study of crimes linked to religious hatred in Scotland. But it has been the target of international criticism for human rights abuses. The sorting office had been the target of much criticism in recent months, following the implementation of a single-service delivery system. They surely know they are going to be targets for abuse, so why do they do it? Ministers have allowed themselves to become the targets of criticism from both sides of the debate. The report also reveals police and education officers were often the target of verbal abuse from the parents who were caught allowing their children to play truant. He said that some Council officials might feel they would be abused or a target but he didn't believe any of the commissioners would do that. The president's popularity ratings are down to their pre-September 11 levels and he is a target for political criticism once more. In any society, critical analysis is important and every person is a fair target for constructive criticism. Increasingly the poor and the uneducated - the most vulnerable sections of society - have become targets for police abuse. If the attacks on those who have come before are any guide, this will go on for some time and then subside as they find new targets on whom to vent their bile. The hours are anti-social, and drivers are often the targets of abuse - from frustrated passengers in the day and from drunks and vandals at night. And then, when a third party defends the targets against the unfair criticisms, the critics seem upset. I'll ask him why he's become the target of criticism for so many Republicans. A pensioner has been forced out of his home in Portlaoise after becoming the target for verbal abuse and threats from a neighbour. You're legit targets for questions, criticism and condemnation. In particular, the property tax has become a major target of public criticism, even leading to a movement for tax resistance. Unlike some of the targets of media criticism, the media targets of blog criticism have ample means to publicly defend themselves. The Hazara were a special target for abuse under the former Taliban regime and, in the view of the tribunal, they are still at risk. Synonyms victim, butt, scapegoat, dupe, recipient, focus, object, subject, fair game, aunt sally 1.4Phonetics An idealization of the articulation of a speech sound, with reference to which actual utterances can be described. Example sentencesExamples In experiment 9, a computer program was written to give the subjects the choice of selecting the target sound that they have heard, its position in the token and its adjacent vowel. Identify the position of a target sound in a word. The basic sound, or phoneme, is selected as a target for treatment. 2historical A small round shield or buckler. Example sentencesExamples Like the target, arm-straps link its maneuverability directly to the movement of the arm, so it is less versatile than a center-grip shield. It was soldiers armed with targets such as these under the command of Gonzalvo de Cordoba who defeated the Hapsburg-Valois pike formations in the Italian wars. Targets and bucklers are small shields known to have been used in later historical periods, although targets became larger in the Renaissance. Synonyms buckler verbˈtärɡətˈtɑrɡət [with object]usually be targeted 1Select as an object of attention or attack. two men were targeted by the attackers Example sentencesExamples While squats and leg presses don't directly target the calves, they do rely on them for stability during heavier lifts. This comes at a time when private firms are targeting Scotland, offering instant access to a doctor. I just hope they catch him before he targets anyone else. The problem with the program is that it still primarily uses race as the qualifying factor, even if it targets a slightly narrower group among all those who claim native ancestry. In addition, many of these attacks seemed to target more than property. All enemy vehicles can be destroyed with any weapon provided you target a key weak point and attack it enough times. An online store can offer a much bigger selection because it can target a much bigger audience. She adds that the project intends to target audiences that don't traditionally read books. To target distributors directly, simply look for their names on product labels. The criminals behind these attacks are constantly evolving their techniques and changing tactics to target a wider range of victims. York City supporters are to target the FA in a double-pronged attack to highlight the plight of the club. The comic directly targets several audience members in turn throughout his or her act. People chose to target me for my name, for my runners or whatever, you know, so I had to deal with things to survive. He was not in the Alexandra Palace venue at the time of the attack, which had been clearly planned to target him. It has since been targeted by vandals and has been set on fire on numerous occasions. Abandoned cars left on private land are to be targeted by scrapper crews in Colchester. This attack sensing and warning could target both inside the Army's networks and systems or out in the Internet itself. We will continue to crack down hard on organised immigration crime which targets the most vulnerable, the poorest and the young. Copyright enforces are pleased at the forthcoming introduction of law that allows them to target running pirate sites directly. The company will then target Britain and Europe, where the single currency will help simplify the franchise experience. Synonyms pick out, single out, select, choose, decide on, earmark, fix on 1.1 Aim or direct (something) a significant nuclear capability targeted on the US Example sentencesExamples Indeed, when he started his pursuit of him, Soviet missiles were still targeted on Western Europe. After being targeted to the thylakoid membrane, the D1 protein elongation and membrane insertion occur concomitantly. A better way to make money may be to target advertising at those users. The distribution is initially targeted at desktop users although Addis says server components are included along with the release. In direct to consumer advertising, drug companies target advertisements for prescription drugs directly at the public. She believed that a return to the year 2000 budget level, with the money being targeted at those who had lost out in the changeover from a headage to an area based payment scheme, would go a long way to redressing the anomalies which had occurred. PH domains regulate protein targeting to membranes and thereby serve as membrane adapters. Work related to drug deaths in Scotland has been targeted at users who inject. Packages targeted at business users will also be available in three different bands. Synonyms aim, direct, level, intend, focus, position Phrases on target 1So as to hit or achieve the thing aimed at. McGrath was on target with a header the new police station is on target for a June opening Example sentencesExamples Spending by all government departments is still on target, as 680m earmarked for expenditure has not been spent yet. He will also confound critics by claiming the economy is still on target to hit the growth forecasts he set out earlier this year. They had precisely one shot on target, an optimistic punt from Hamed Namouchi from fully 40 yards. The team from Sofia never looked likely to score, recording just two shots on target in the course of the game. The bottom line was that the chances we created were very good but we didn't get enough goals or shots on target. The company said it was on target for sales in excess of 100 million this year. It would be his side's only shot on target in the opening half, which is surely of grave concern to him. So it came as no surprise that the goal, as late as the 64th minute, came from the first decent shot on target by either side. The club development fundraising project is still on target for May. My shots were on target and my game is improving with every match. An inability to catch, throw or even roll the balls on target would affect the concentration and rhythm of the contestants. Synonyms accurate, precise, unerring, sure, true, on the mark 1.1Accurately described or forecast; correct. the film is remarkably on target in its depiction of the English settlers' attitudes toward the New World as adjective his on-target observations Example sentencesExamples We found that Levitt's critique was largely on target. He consistently manages to give an on-target review in half the space that either of the NY Times guys do, with virtually no blather. Each of your points was valid and on target. Your assessment may be on target. I began to feel my preconceptions were on target. The editorial is probably on-target except for one teensy detail. He provides really on-target tips for refining how teams should approach projects that are aiming for something new, something better. I found myself shouting and cheering out loud for the pithiness of his metaphors and his on-target analysis. He says: "The comments are mostly on target." Please keep the terms of the argument at least vaguely on-target. Synonyms on schedule, on time, on track, on course off target 1So as to miss or fail to achieve the thing aimed at. his shot was off-target as adjective two off-target bombs Example sentencesExamples Most of the troops dropped by airplane were thirty-five miles off target. Greece narrowed its central government budget deficit by 37 percent in the first nine months of 2012, the finance ministry said on Thursday, but revenues were still off target. Good coverage depends on having very small droplets, although these are more readily blown off target by wind than large drops. It was only 800 ft off target. Pierzynski is hitting the ball with authority, more than compensating for off-target throws to second base. Carty went for a point and his off-target effort was kept in play by Sean Quinn who flicked it up for Niall Quinn and he punched the ball into the net. Your goal should be to eliminate off-target movement of pesticides, no matter how small it may be. David Whittle had a half chance late in the first half but his shot from 25 yards was just off target. Last year some 45% of hospitals missed the target, and so far this year 70% are off target. Many of his passes were way off target. 1.1Not accurately described or predicted; incorrect. the original estimate was off target Example sentencesExamples So that objection is simply off target. Forecasts that are grossly off target can do more than merely hamper efficiency. Off-target campaign rhetoric is not limited to matters of war and peace. The official line is that the strategists lost their jobs in companywide downsizings that had nothing to do with off-target predictions. Unless I'm completely off-target here, he claims that the stuff we read or see in the foreign media isn't really how people feel, that the effect is superficial. Great care must be taken in estimating rental income as the agent's estimate may be well off target. Many of his predictions have been way off target. It is "off-target" to suggest that the best way to improve governance is by reducing government resources and responsibilities, the report adds. That comparison seems pretty off target to me. Origin Late Middle English (in target (sense 2 of the noun)): diminutive of targe. The verb dates from the early 17th century. noun.1 phr.
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