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scapegoat

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scapegoat

Main Entry:: ¹scape·goat
Pronunciation:: \ˈskāp-ˌgōt\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: ¹scape; intended as translation of Hebrew ʽazāzēl (probably name of a demon), as if ʽēz 'ōzēl goat that departs—Lev 16:8(Authorized Version)
Date:: 1530

1: a goat upon whose head are symbolically placed the sins of the people after which he is sent into the wilderness in the biblical ceremony for Yom Kippur2 a: one that bears the blame for others b: one that is the object of irrational hostility

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