| a word or group of words representing the person or thing with reference to which the action of a verb is performed, in English generally coming between the verb and the direct object and paraphrasable as the object of a preposition, usually to or for, following the direct object, as the boy in He gave the boy a book. |
| indirect object n. An object indirectly affected by the action of a verb, as me in Sing me a song and turtles in He feeds turtles lettuce. |
A noun, pronoun, or group of words naming something indirectly affected by the action of a verb: “She showed me some carpet samples”; “The agent handed the Prentice family their tickets.”
Note: Indirect objects can often take or suggest the preposition to. For example, “He showed (to) me the book.”