Clay pigeon is a term used to describe a type of TARGET used in shooting sports. It is also known as a clay TARGET, and is typically thrown into the air by a machine called a TRAP. Traps are used in the sport of trapshooting, where the goal is to shoot the clay pigeon before it hits the ground. Skeet shooting is another popular shooting sport, where clay pigeons are launched from two different directions and the shooter must hit both targets. Clay pigeons are also used in the sport of TRAP shooting, where the goal is to hit the clay pigeon as it is released from the TRAP.