scape-animal

English

Etymology

From scape +‎ animal; modelled on scapegoat.

Noun

scape-animal (plural scape-animals)

  1. An animal that has symbolically had human diseases and sins transferred to it and then is sent out alive into the wilderness to carry away the afflictions.
    • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 32:
      A very common one was to take an animal and, after various ceremonies, to sprinkle it with blood and let it loose as a scape-animal, carrying the disease away.
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