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human shield

American  

noun

  1. a person or group of people located or intentionally placed in a potential line of fire or in an area likely to be attacked.

Etymology

Origin of human shield

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He's a guy who earned a highly paid job by failing upward, knowing that his ultimate purpose is to be a human shield.

From Salon • May 29, 2023

The professors encircled the students, locking arms to form a human shield around them.

From New York Times • Oct. 6, 2022

When Roger Angell was in his 80s, I was proud to be his human shield in a spitball assault in which Roger pummeled a pompous pundit with paper wads in a Yankee Stadium press box.

From Washington Post • May 22, 2022

They say they're even ready to act as a human shield, if that helps evacuate the men to safety.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2022

Kyle, Akimi, and Sierra formed a human shield to hide their Bibliomania box.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.