Word of the Day

: October 11, 2024

scapegoat

noun SKAYP-goat

What It Means

A scapegoat is a person who is unfairly blamed for something others have done.

// The CFO was made the scapegoat for the company’s failures.

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scapegoat in Context

"It's a lively, funny movie, as more of Littlehampton's locals start getting aggressive letters packed with the same redundant profanity, and respond to them with absolute horror—and a certain amount of glee at having such a deliciously transgressive scandal to chew over, and such a perfect scapegoat as Rose to blame for all of it." — Tasha Robinson, Polygon.com, 27 July 2024

Did You Know?

On Yom Kippur, the ancient Hebrews would sacrifice one goat for God and lead another one, over whom all the sins of Israel had been confessed, into the wilderness to bear the sins of the people away. The ceremony is described in Leviticus, where it is said that one lot shall be cast for God and one for "Azazel." Modern scholars usually interpret Azazel (ʽazāzēl in Hebrew) as being the name of a demon living in the desert, but ancient biblical translators thought ʽazāzēl referred to the goat itself, apparently confusing the word with the Hebrew phrase ʽēz 'ōzēl, meaning "goat that departs." Thus, in a 16th century English translation, the word for Azazel/the goat was rendered as scapegoote—that is, "goat that escapes." The extended senses of scapegoat we use today evolved from this biblical use.