target

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. An object, such as a padded disk with a marked surface, that is shot at to test accuracy in rifle or archery practice.
2. n. Something aimed or fired at.
3. n. An object of criticism or attack.
4. n. One to be influenced or changed by an action or event.
5. n. A desired goal.
6. n. A railroad signal that indicates the position of a switch by its color, position, and shape.
7. n. The sliding sight on a surveyor's leveling rod.
8. n. A small round shield.
9. n. A structure in a television camera tube with a storage surface that is scanned by an electron beam to generate a signal output current similar to the charge-density pattern stored on the surface.
10. n. A usually metal part in an x-ray tube on which a beam of electrons is focused and from which x-rays are emitted.
11. v. To make a target of.
12. v. To aim at or for.
13. v. To establish as a target or goal.
14. idiom. on target Completely accurate, precise, or valid: observations that were right on target.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In archery, the five circles count as follows: gold center, 9; red, 7; inner white or blue, 5; black, 3; outer white, 1.
2. n. A shield. Specifically— A small round shield; a buckler. See cut on preceding page.
3. n. In the seventeenth century, a shield of any form used by an infantry soldier as a substitute for body-armor. Compare targeteer.
4. n. A shield-shaped, circular, or other mark at which archers or users of firearms shoot for practice or for a prize: so called from the mark, which usually consists of concentric rings. For archery (see butt, 9) it is commonly painted on canvas drawn over a wedge-shaped frame, and stuffed with straw; that for practice with the musket or rifle was formerly flat, and made of planks in one or more thicknesses. Modern targets for long-range practice with the rifle are made of metal, and the compartments are usually square, one within the other; the target for practice with cannon is generally intended to test the penetrating power of the projectile, and is accordingly built up in imitation of the side of a ship, or of a turret.
5. n. Figuratively, anything at which observation is aimed; one who or that which is a marked object of curiosity, admiration, contempt, or other feeling.
6. n. On a railroad, the frame or holder in which a signal is displayed, as at switches.
7. n. The sliding sight on a leveling-staff. Also called vane. See cut under leveling-staff.
8. n. In heraldry, a bearing representing a round shield, or buckler.
9. n. A pendant, often jeweled; a tassel.
10. n. A shred; slice.

Wiktionary

1. n. 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. n. A goal or objective.
3. n. A kind of small shield or buckler, used as a defensive weapon in war.
4. n. obsolete A shield resembling the Roman scutum. In modern usage, a smaller variety of shield is usually implied by this term.
5. n. sports The pattern or arrangement of a series of hits made by a marksman on a butt or mark.
6. n. surveying The sliding crosspiece, or vane, on a leveling staff.
7. n. rail transport A conspicuous disk attached to a switch lever to show its position, or for use as a signal.
8. n. cricket the number of runs that the side batting last needs to score in the final innings in order to win
9. n. linguistics The tenor of a metaphor.
10. n. translation studies The translated version of a document, or the language into which translation occurs.
11. n. A person (or group of people) that a person or organization is trying to employ or to have as a customer, audience etc.
12. v. transitive To aim something, especially a weapon, at (a target).
13. v. transitive, figuratively To aim for as an audience or demographic.
14. v. transitive, computing To produce code suitable for.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A kind of small shield or buckler, used as a defensive weapon in war.
2. n. A butt or mark to shoot at, as for practice, or to test the accuracy of a firearm, or the force of a projectile.
3. n. The pattern or arrangement of a series of hits made by a marksman on a butt or mark.
4. n. (Surveying) The sliding crosspiece, or vane, on a leveling staff.
5. n. (Railroad) A conspicuous disk attached to a switch lever to show its position, or for use as a signal.
6. n. engraving A thin cut; a slice; specif., of lamb, a piece consisting of the neck and breast joints.
7. n. Obs. Scot. A tassel or pendent; also, a shred; tatter.
8. n. A goal for an activity.
9. n. A metallic object toward which a beam of electrons is aimed in a tube designed to generate X-rays; when the electrons strike the target, the impact causes emission of X-rays.
10. n. Any object toward which a beam of photons, a laser beam, an electron beam, or a beam of atomic or subatomic particles is aimed.
11. n. A person who is the subject of criticism or ridicule.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. intend (something) to move towards a certain goal
2. n. the location of the target that is to be hit
3. n. the goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable)
4. n. a reference point to shoot at
5. n. a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
6. n. sports equipment consisting of an object set up for a marksman or archer to aim at