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.

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Etymology

Origin of human shield

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Professors formed a human shield so students could flee.

From Seattle Times

But she added that they should sit in a visible place to act as a “human shield” that deters potential ballot “mules” from coming to drop boxes.

From Seattle Times

And some analysts think that in sacrificing him, Ms. Truss might have removed her human shield, making her a bigger target for her opponents.

From New York Times

The prestigious Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, for example—lauded as Iran’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology—erupted in protest on 2 October; eyewitness accounts describe professors linking arms to form a human shield to protect student protesters from police, who ended up arresting about 30.

From Science Magazine

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

From New York Times