clay pigeon

noun

1. Trapshooting, Skeet. a disk of baked clay or other material hurled into the air from a trap as a target.
2. Slang. a person in a situation likely to be taken advantage of by others.

clay pigeon

noun

1. a disc of baked clay hurled into the air from a machine as a target to be shot at
2. slang.
   a person in a defenceless position; sitting duck

Word History and Origins

Origin of clay pigeon¹

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Idioms and Phrases

A person easily duped or taken advantage of, as in You're a clay pigeon for all of those telephone fund-raisers . The term alludes to the clay pigeon of trapshooting, which replaced the use of live birds in this sport in the 1860s. Its transfer to figurative use in the first half of the 1900s probably is explained by the much older slang use of pigeon for “dupe.” Also see fall guy .

Example Sentences

And there was Louis the Goon—his little clay pigeon—in one of the booths with a doll.

From Project Gutenberg

He is as erratic in his flight as a clay pigeon, though it is tolerably safe to assume that he will not jump backward.

From Project Gutenberg

I, with many misgivings, had a clay pigeon thrown, but the gun refused to go off.

From Project Gutenberg

The annexed engravings show pictures of clay-pigeon shooting and of the firing of a ten-inch disappearing gun at Sandy Hook.

From Project Gutenberg

In that which was left of a clay pigeon he would take not the faintest interest—the scent of it was paltry.

From Project Gutenberg