(slang, informal) a person who, like a clay pigeon in
target practice, is
immobilized or is in a sensitive
position and is therefore easily criticized or otherwise victimized.
(slang) someone who is in a
position where he can be easily victimized or taken advantage of by others. The
term comes from the sport of trapshooting, in which a device called a
trap is used to hurl disks of
baked clay or other material (called clay pigeons) into the air as
targets for
shooting.
n. a saucer-like disk of
baked clay or other material that is hurled into the air by a
machine called a "
trap" and which serves as a moving
target (somewhat like a
bird in
flight) for
shooting practice or in the
game or sport of trapshooting. Originally the
targets shot at were live pigeons (or other
birds) but were replaced with clay disks, hence their name. This
term can also be used to
refer to a person who, like a clay pigeon, has gotten himself into a vulnerable or disadvantageous
position and is therefore
open to being a "
target," as for some
criticism,
action,
discipline, etc.