SCAPEGOAT

I. noun Etymology: 1scape; intended as translation of Hebrew ‘azāzēl (probably name of a demon), as if ‘ēz 'ōzēl goat that departs—Leviticus 16:8(Authorized Version) Date: 1530 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 Kippur, 2. one that bears the blame for others, one that is the object of irrational hostility, II. transitive verb Date: 1943 to make a ~ of, ~ism noun