tar·get / ˈtärgit/ • n. 1. a person, object, or place selected as the aim of an attack. ∎  a mark or point at which someone fires or aims, esp. a round or rectangular board marked with concentric circles used in archery or shooting. ∎  an objective or result toward which efforts are directed: the car met its sales target in record time. ∎  Phonet. an idealization of the articulation of a speech sound, with reference to which actual utterances can be described. ∎  a person or thing against whom criticism or abuse is or may be directed.2. hist. a small, round shield or buckler.• v. (-get·ed, -get·ing) [tr.] (usu. be targeted) select as an object of attention or attack: two men were targeted by the attackers. ∎  aim or direct (something): a significant nuclear capability targeted on the U.S.PHRASES: on target accurately hitting the thing aimed at. ∎  proceeding or improving at a good enough rate to achieve an objective: the new police station is on target for a June opening.DERIVATIVES: tar·get·a·ble adj.

Target ★★ 1985 (R)

Normal dad/hubby Hackman slips into a figurative phone booth and emerges as former CIA when his better half is kidnapped in Paris. Good action scenes, but poorly scripted and too long. 117m/C VHS, DVD . Gene Hackman, Matt Dillon, Gayle Hunnicutt, Josef Sommer; D: Arthur Penn; W: Howard Berk.

target (hist.) light round shield XIV; object marked with concentric circles to be used as a butt XVIII. dim. of TARGE (see -ET).

Target

Term used by parapsychologists to indicate the object (mental or physical) to which a subject attempts to respond paranormally. A mental target would relate to extrasensory perception, a physical target to psychokinesis.