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scapegoat

scape·goat
S s

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [skeyp-goht]
    • /ˈskeɪpˌgoʊt/
    • /ˈskeɪp.ɡəʊt/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [skeyp-goht]
    • /ˈskeɪpˌgoʊt/

Definitions of scapegoat word

  • noun scapegoat a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place. 1
  • noun scapegoat Chiefly Biblical. a goat let loose in the wilderness on Yom Kippur after the high priest symbolically laid the sins of the people on its head. Lev. 16:8,10,26. 1
  • verb with object scapegoat to make a scapegoat of: Strike leaders tried to scapegoat foreign competitors. 1
  • noun scapegoat person: blamed for others 1
  • noun scapegoat Bible: goat representing sins 1
  • transitive verb scapegoat blame for others 1

Information block about the term

Origin of scapegoat

First appearance:

before 1520
One of the 28% oldest English words
First recorded in 1520-30; scape2 + goat

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Scapegoat

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

scapegoat popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 73% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

scapegoat usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for scapegoat

noun scapegoat

  • by-word — a word or phrase associated with some person or thing; a characteristic expression, typical greeting, or the like.
  • doormat — a mat, usually placed before a door or other entrance, for people arriving to wipe their shoes on before entering.
  • easy mark — sb easily targeted or victimized
  • fall guy — an easy victim.

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See also

Matching words

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