scapegoat en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From scape + goat; coined by English biblical scholar and translator William Tyndale, interpreting Biblical Hebrew עֲזָאזֵל (“azazél”) (Leviticus 16:8, 10, 26), from an interpretation as coming from עֵז (ez, “goat”) and אוזל (ozél, “escapes”). First attested 1530. Compare English scapegrace, scapegallows.
Meanings
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In the Mosaic Day of Atonement ritual, a goat symbolically imbued with the sins of the people, and sent out alive into the wilderness while another was sacrificed.
And Aarõ caſt lottes ouer the .ij. gootes: one lotte for the Lorde, ãd another for a ſcapegoote.
1530 January 27 (Gregorian calendar), W[illiam] T[yndale], transl., [The Pentateuch] (Tyndale Bible), Malborow [Marburg], Hesse: […] Hans Luft [actually Antwerp: Johan Hoochstraten], →OCLC, Leuiticus xvj:[8], folio XXIX, verso:[…]; alluding herein unto the heart of man, and the precious bloud of our Saviour; who was typified indeed by the Goat that was ſlain, and the ſcape Goat in the wilderneſſe;
1650, Thomas Browne, “Compendiously of Sundry Other Common Tenents, Concerning Minerall and Terreous Bodies, Which Examined, Prove Either False or Dubious”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC, 2nd book, page 64:
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Someone unfairly blamed or punished for some failure.
The new Secretary of State had been long sick of the perfidy and levity of the First Lord of the Treasury, and began to fear that he might be made a scapegoat to save the old intriguer who, imbecile as he seemed, never wanted dexterity where danger was to be avoided.
1834, Thomas Babington Macaulay, William Pitt, Earl of Chatham:Corbett says Railtrack was under great pressure in the aftermath, as it was the scapegoat even though the signal had been working properly.
2026 March 4, Christian Wolmar, “Railtrack: what really happened”, in RAIL, number 1056, page 53:He is making me a scapegoat for his own poor business decisions and the supply chain disruptions caused by the hurricane!
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| scapegoats | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Holonyms
Hypernyms
Relateds
Synonyms
scapegoat · fall guy · sacrificial lamb · folk devil · whipping boy · Joe Soap · whipping boy · patsy · fall guy · goat · patsy · escapegoat
Translations (122)
et patuoinas (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · sv syndabock (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · cmn 替罪羊 (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · th แพะ (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ja 贖罪の山羊 (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · es chivo expiatorio (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · eu ahuntz-buru (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · cs obětní beránek (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · id kambing hitam (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · ka განტევების ვაცი (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · hu bűnbak (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · ar كَبْش فِدَاء (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · eo propeka kaprino (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · cmn 替罪羊 (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · he שָׂעִיר לַעֲזָאזֵל (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · cmn 代罪羔羊 (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · lt atpirkimo ožys (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · no syndebukk (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · es cabeza de turco (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · ga ceap milleáin (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · el αποδιοπομπαίος τράγος (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · mk жр́твен ја́рец (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · vi con dê gánh tội (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ca boc expiatori (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · be казёл адпушчэ́ння (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · el εξιλαστήριο θύμα (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · nl zondebok (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · de Sündenbock (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · az günah keçisi (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · tr şamar oğlanı (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · ja 身代わり (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · ja スケープゴート (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · no syndebukk (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ja 生贄 (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · fo syndabukkur (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · vi bia đỡ đạn (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · be ахвя́рны казёл (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · sl grešni kozel (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · es chivo emisario (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · sh жртвени јарац (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · sh žrtveni jarac (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · uk офі́рний цап (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ca boc emissari (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · lv grēkāzis (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · cmn 替死鬼 (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · ru козёл отпуще́ния (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · pt bode expiatório (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · lt atpirkimo ožys (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · sv syndabock (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ru стре́лочник (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · fo syndabukkur (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · ru ма́льчик для битья́ (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · ca boc expiatori (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ja 贖罪の山羊 (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · da syndebuk (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · is blórabögglar (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · grc φαρμακός (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · es chivo expiatorio (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · mi uaparenga (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · it capro espiatorio (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · mk жр́твен ја́рец (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · tr günah keçisi (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · cs obětní beránek (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ro țap ispășitor (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · cy bwch dihangol (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · sh жртвено јање (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · da syndebuk (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · uk козе́л відпу́щення (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · hy քավության նոխազ (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · sh žrtveno janje (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · is blóraböggull (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · it capro emissario (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · th แพะรับบาป (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · hi बकरा (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · fi syntipukki (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ar كَبْش فِدَاء (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · ka განტევების ვაცი (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · fr chèvre émissaire (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · el αποδιοπομπαίος τράγος (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · eo propeka kapro (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · de Sündenbock (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · hy քավության նոխազ (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · fi syntipukki (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · sh жртвени јарац (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · ga sceilpín gabhair (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · et must lammas (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · he שָׂעִיר לַעֲזָאזֵל (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · fr bouc émissaire (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · grc ἀποπομπαῖος τράγος (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · tl bagsakan ng sisi (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · yue 替死鬼 (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · nl zondebok (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · et peksupoiss (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · cmn 代罪羔羊 (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · pl kozioł ofiarny (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · sk obetný baránok (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · af sondebok (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · et peksukott (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · fr bouc émissaire (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ru козёл отпуще́ния (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · mr बळीचा बकरा (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · de Prügelknabe (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · eo propeka kapro (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · la caper ēmissārius (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ca víctima expiatòria (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · et patuoinas (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · bg изкупителна жертва (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · bg же́ртвен козе́л (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · tr günah keçisi (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · az günah keçisi (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · cy bwch dihangol (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · hu bűnbak (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · pl kozioł ofiarny (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · it capro espiatorio (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · lb Sënnebock (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ru крайний (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · sh žrtveni jarac (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · ko 희생양 (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · uk козе́л відпу́щення (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · th แพะรับบาป (a goat imbued with the sins of the people) · ml ബലിയാട് (someone blamed for someone else's error(s)) · pt bode expiatório (a goat imbued with the sins of the people)