shot

[ shot ]

/ ʃɒt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR shot ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural shots or for 6, 8, shot.

a discharge of a firearm, bow, etc.

the range of or the distance traveled by a missile in its flight.

an aimed discharge of a missile.

an attempt to hit a target with a missile.

an act or instance of shooting a firearm, bow, etc.

a small ball or pellet of lead, a number of which are loaded in a cartridge and used for one charge of a shotgun.

such pellets collectively: a charge of shot.

a projectile for discharge from a firearm or cannon.

such projectiles collectively: shot and shell.

a person who shoots; marksman: He was a good shot.

Slang. a blow; punch: The prizefighter was knocked out by a shot in the chin.

anything like a shot, especially in being sudden and forceful.

a heavy metal ball that competitors cast as far as possible in shot-putting contests.

an aimed stroke, throw, or the like, as in certain games, especially in an attempt to score.

an attempt or try: He's entitled to a shot at the championship.

a remark aimed at some person or thing.

a guess at something.

a hypodermic injection, as of a serum, vaccine, narcotic, or anaesthetic: He took a series of immunizing shots for hay fever.

a small quantity, especially an ounce, of undiluted liquor.

an amount due, especially at a tavern.

Photography.

a photograph, especially a snapshot: Here's a nice shot of my kids.
the act of making a photograph, especially a snapshot.

Movies, Television. a unit of action photographed without interruption and constituting a single camera view.

an explosive charge in place for detonation, as in mining or quarrying.

Metallurgy. comparatively hard globules of metal in the body of a casting.

Nautical. a 90-foot (27-meter) length of anchor cable or chain.

Checkers. a compulsory series of exchanges, especially when it proves favorable to the aggressor.

Textiles.

a pick sent through the shed in a single throw of the shuttle.
(in carpet weaving) filling yarn used to bind the pile to the fabric, usually expressed with a preceding number representing the quantity of picks used: three-shot carpet.
a defect in a fabric caused by an unusual color or size in the yarn.

a chance with odds for and against; a bet: a 20 to 1 shot that his horse will come in first.

verb (used with object), shot·ted, shot·ting.

to load or supply with shot.

to weight with shot.

verb (used without object), shot·ted, shot·ting.

to manufacture shot, as in a shot tower.

Idioms for shot

by a long shot. long shot(def 4).

call one's shots, Informal. to indicate beforehand what one intends to do and how one intends to do it.

call the shots, Informal. to have the power or authority to make decisions or control policy: Now that he's chairman of the board, he calls the shots.

have/take a shot at, make an attempt at: I'll have a shot at solving the problem.

like a shot, instantly; quickly: He bolted out of here like a shot.

shot in the arm, Informal. something that results in renewed vigor, confidence, etc.; stimulus: Her recent promotion has given her a shot in the arm. The new members gave the club a shot in the arm.

shot in the dark, Informal. a wild guess; a random conjecture.

Origin of shot

before 900; Middle English; Old English sc(e)ot, ( ge)sceot; cognate with German Schoss, Geschoss; akin to shoot¹

SYNONYMS FOR shot

15 chance, go, essay.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR shot ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM shot

shot·less, adjective shot·like, adjective

Words nearby shot

shoshone dam, shoshone falls, shoshonean, shoshoni, shostakovich, shot, shot clock, shot effect, shot glass, shot heard round the world, shot hole

Definition for shot (2 of 3)

shot ²

[ shot ]

/ ʃɒt /

verb

simple past tense and past participle of shoot¹.

adjective

woven so as to present a play of colors; having a changeable color; variegated, as silk.

spread or streaked with color: the dawn sky shot with gold.

in hopelessly bad condition; ruined: Those sneakers are really shot. His morale is shot.

Slang. intoxicated.

Definition for shot (3 of 3)

shoot ¹

[ shoot ]

/ ʃut /

verb (used with object), shot, shoot·ing.

to hit, wound, damage, kill, or destroy with a missile discharged from a weapon.

to execute or put to death with a bullet: to be shot at sunrise.

to send forth or discharge (a missile) from a weapon: to shoot a bullet.

to discharge (a weapon): to shoot a gun.

to send forth (words, ideas, etc.) rapidly: to shoot questions at someone.

to fling; propel: The volcano shot lava high into the air.

to direct suddenly or swiftly: Shoot the spotlight on the doorway. He shot a smile at his wife.

to move suddenly; send swiftly along.

to go over (country) in hunting game.

to pass rapidly through, over, down, etc.: to shoot rapids.

to emit (a ray or rays, as of light) suddenly, briefly, or intermittently.

to variegate by threads, streaks, etc., of another color.

to cause to extend or project: He shot out his arm and grabbed the ball.

to discharge or empty, as down a chute: Do not shoot rubbish here!

Sports.

to throw, kick, or otherwise propel (a ball, puck, etc.), as at a goal or teammate.
to score (a goal, points, etc.) by propelling the ball, puck, etc.

Games. to propel (a marble) from the crook or first knuckle of the forefinger by flicking with the thumb.

(in dice games)

to throw (the dice or a specific number).
to wager or offer to bet (a sum of money): I'll shoot ten bucks.

Photography. to photograph or film.

to put forth (buds, branches, etc.), as a plant.

to slide (a bolt or the like) into or out of its fastening.

to pull (one's cuffs) abruptly toward one's hands.

Golf. to make a final score of (so many strokes): He shot a 73 on the first 18 holes of the tournament.

to take the altitude of (a heavenly body): to shoot the sun.

to detonate; cause to explode, as a charge of explosives.

Aeronautics. to practice (a maneuver) by repetition: to shoot landings.

Slang. to inject (an addictive drug) intravenously.

verb (used without object), shot, shoot·ing.

to send forth missiles from a bow, firearm, or the like.

to be discharged, as a firearm.

to hunt with a gun for sport: He fishes, but he doesn't shoot.

to move or pass suddenly or swiftly; spurt: The car shot ahead and was soon out of sight.

Nautical. to acquire momentum and coast into the wind, as a sailboat in a confined area.

to grow forth from the ground, as a stem.

to put forth buds or shoots, as a plant; germinate.

Photography. to photograph.

Movies. to film or begin to film a scene or movie.

to extend; jut: a cape shooting out into the sea.

Sports, Games.

to propel a ball, puck, etc., at a goal, basket, pocket, etc., or in a specific direction: He shot for the green with a five iron.
to propel a ball in a specific way: The center shoots left-handed.

to be felt by or flow through or permeate the body: Pain shot through his injured arm. Chills shot up and down her spine.

to carry by force of discharge or momentum: The missile left its pad and shot thousands of miles into space.

Informal. to begin, especially to begin to talk: I want to hear your complaint, so shoot!

noun

the act of shooting with a bow, firearm, etc.

Chiefly British. a hunting trip or expedition.

a match or contest at shooting.

a growing or sprouting, as of a plant.

a new or young growth that shoots off from some portion of a plant.

the amount of such growth.

a young branch, stem, twig, or the like.

a sprout that is not three feet high.

a chute.

Rocketry. the launching of a missile.

Informal. a photographic assignment or session, as for a feature film or a television commercial: The actress is away on a shoot.

Rowing. the interval between strokes.

Mining.

a small tunnel branching off from a larger tunnel.
a narrow vein of ore.

Verb Phrases

shoot down,

to cause to fall by hitting with a shot: They shot down several ducks.
Informal. to disparage, reject, or expose as false or inadequate; debunk: to shoot down a popular theory.

shoot for/at, to attempt to obtain or accomplish; strive toward: He is shooting for a higher production level.

shoot up,

to grow rapidly or suddenly.
Informal. to damage or harass by reckless shooting: cowboys shooting up the town.
to wound by shooting: He shot up the lion, but his guide killed it.
Slang. to inject an addictive drug intravenously.

Origin of shoot

before 900; Middle English shoten (v.), Old English scēotan; cognate with Dutch schieten, German schiessen, Old Norse skjōta; akin to shot¹

SYNONYMS FOR shoot

3, 5 project, impel, hurl, cast, throw.

17a roll.

30 spring, start, dash, bolt, rush, fly.

36 project, protrude.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR shoot ON THESAURUS.COM

Example sentences from the Web for shot

The cartoonist, better known as Charb, was shot dead Wednesday.

France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers |Nico Hines |January 9, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
A policewoman was shot dead this morning while law enforcement searched for the Charlie Lebdo killers.

France Mourns—and Hunts |Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
“I heard them say, ‘He was shot twice,’” the father, Joseph Dossi, remembers.

Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown |Michael Daly |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Father José Julián was shot and wounded driving in a car through the sierra of Ajuchitán.

Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder |Jason McGahan |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST

But that would now have to be put on hold because he had been shot in the Bronx.

Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown |Michael Daly |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
But he had not proceeded more than a few rods before he was shot down and killed instantly.

Eleven Years in the Rocky Mountains and Life on the Frontier |Frances Fuller Victor
Turkeys were seen in fair numbers, but they were the shyest birds I have ever come across—so much so that we never got a shot.

Spinifex and Sand |David W Carnegie
He burst in upon her to declare his love, as if it were a question of firing the first shot on a field of battle.

The Duchesse de Langeais |Honore de Balzac
Beside it, a tall needle of rock, serrated and sharp, shot up.

My New Curate |P.A. Sheehan
The father of the winds makes battle with a huge flagroot, and the king of reptiles is shot with a dart.

Algic Researches, Comprising Inquiries Respecting the Mental Characteristics of the North American Indians, Vol. 1 of 2 |Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

British Dictionary definitions for shot (1 of 3)

shot ¹

/ (ʃɒt) /

noun

the act or an instance of discharging a projectile

plural shot a solid missile, such as an iron ball or a lead pellet, discharged from a firearm

small round pellets of lead collectively, as used in cartridges
metal in the form of coarse powder or small pellets

the distance that a discharged projectile travels or is capable of travelling

a person who shoots, esp with regard to his ability he is a good shot

informal an attempt; effort

informal a guess or conjecture

any act of throwing or hitting something, as in certain sports

the launching of a rocket, missile, etc, esp to a specified destination a moon shot

a single photographI took 16 shots of the wedding
a series of frames on cine film concerned with a single event
a length of film taken by a single camera without breaks, used with others to build up a full motion picture or television film

informal an injection, as of a vaccine or narcotic drug

informal a glass of alcoholic drink, esp spirits

sport a heavy metal ball used in the shot put

an explosive charge used in blasting

globules of metal occurring in the body of a casting that are harder than the rest of the casting

a unit of chain length equal to 75 feet (Brit) or 90 feet (US)

call the shots slang to have control over an organization, course of action, etc

have a shot at informal

to attempt
Australian to jibe at or vex

like a shot very quickly, esp willingly

shot in the arm informal anything that regenerates, increases confidence or efficiency, etc his arrival was a shot in the arm for the company

shot in the dark a wild guess

that's the shot Australian informal that is the right thing to do

verb shots, shotting or shotted

(tr) to weight or load with shot

Word Origin for shot

Old English scot; related to Old Norse skot, Old High German scoz missile; see shoot

British Dictionary definitions for shot (2 of 3)

shot ²

/ (ʃɒt) /

verb

the past tense and past participle of shoot

adjective

(of textiles) woven to give a changing colour effect shot silk

streaked with colour

slang exhausted

get shot of or get shut of slang to get rid of

British Dictionary definitions for shot (3 of 3)

shoot

/ (ʃuːt) /

verb shoots, shooting or shot

(tr) to hit, wound, damage, or kill with a missile discharged from a weapon

to discharge (a missile or missiles) from a weapon

to fire (a weapon) or (of a weapon) to be fired

to send out or be sent out as if from a weapon he shot questions at her

(intr) to move very rapidly; dart

(tr) to slide or push into or out of a fastening to shoot a bolt

to emit (a ray of light) or (of a ray of light) to be emitted

(tr) to go or pass quickly over or through to shoot rapids

(intr) to hunt game with a gun for sport

(tr) to pass over (an area) in hunting game

to extend or cause to extend; project

(tr) to discharge down or as if down a chute

(intr) (of a plant) to produce (buds, branches, etc)

(intr) (of a seed) to germinate

to photograph or record (a sequence, subject, etc)

(tr; usually passive) to variegate or streak, as with colour

sport to hit or propel (the ball, etc) towards the goal

(tr) sport, mainly US and Canadian to score (points, strokes, etc) he shot 72 on the first round

(tr) to plane (a board) to produce a straight edge

(tr) mining to detonate

(tr) to measure the altitude of (a celestial body)

(often foll by up) slang to inject (someone, esp oneself) with (a drug, esp heroin)

shoot a line See line 1 (def. 58)

shoot from the hip to speak bluntly or impulsively without concern for the consequences

shoot one's bolt See bolt 1 (def. 13)

shoot oneself in the foot informal to damage one's own cause inadvertently

shoot one's mouth off slang

to talk indiscreetly
to boast or exaggerate

shoot the breeze See breeze 1 (def. 5)

noun

the act of shooting

the action or motion of something that is shot

the first aerial part of a plant to develop from a germinating seed

any new growth of a plant, such as a bud, young branch, etc

mainly British a meeting or party organized for hunting game with guns

an area or series of coverts and woods where game can be hunted with guns

a steep descent in a stream; rapid

informal a photographic assignment

geology mining a narrow workable vein of ore

obsolete the reach of a shot

the whole shoot slang everything

interjection

US and Canadian an exclamation expressing disbelief, scepticism, disgust, disappointment, etc

See also shoot down, shoot out, shoot through, shoot up

Word Origin for shoot

Old English sceōtan; related to Old Norse skjōta, Old High German skiozan to shoot, Old Slavonic iskydati to throw out

Medical definitions for shot

shot

[ shŏt ]

n.

A hypodermic injection.

A small amount given or applied at one time.

Scientific definitions for shot

shoot

[ shōōt ]

The part of a vascular plant that is above ground, including the stem and leaves. The tips of shoots contain the apical meristem.

Idioms and Phrases with shot (1 of 2)

shot

In addition to the idioms beginning with shot

shot in the arm, a
shot in the dark
shot to hell
shot up

also see:

big cheese (shot)
call the shots
cheap shot
give it one's best shot
have a crack (shot) at
like a shot
long shot
parting shot

Also see undershoot.

Idioms and Phrases with shot (2 of 2)

shoot

In addition to the idioms beginning with shoot

shoot down
shoot for
shoot from the hip
shoot off one's mouth
shoot one's bolt
shoot oneself in the foot
shoot straight
shoot the breeze
shoot the works
shoot up

also see:

like shooting fish in a barrel
sure as shooting
whole ball of wax (shooting match)

Also see undershot.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

shot

noun, plural shots or for 6, 8, shot.

verb (used with object), shot·ted, shot·ting.

verb (used without object), shot·ted, shot·ting.

Idioms for shot

Origin of shot

SYNONYMS FOR shot

OTHER WORDS FROM shot

Words nearby shot

Definition for shot (2 of 3)

verb

adjective

Definition for shot (3 of 3)

verb (used with object), shot, shoot·ing.

verb (used without object), shot, shoot·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of shoot

SYNONYMS FOR shoot

Example sentences from the Web for shot

British Dictionary definitions for shot (1 of 3)

noun

verb shots, shotting or shotted

Word Origin for shot

British Dictionary definitions for shot (2 of 3)

verb

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for shot (3 of 3)

verb shoots, shooting or shot

noun

interjection

Word Origin for shoot

Medical definitions for shot

n.

Scientific definitions for shot

Idioms and Phrases with shot (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with shot (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

shot

noun, plural shots or for 6, 8, shot.

verb (used with object), shot·ted, shot·ting.

verb (used without object), shot·ted, shot·ting.

Idioms for shot

Origin of shot

SYNONYMS FOR shot

OTHER WORDS FROM shot

Words nearby shot

Definition for shot (2 of 3)

verb

adjective

Definition for shot (3 of 3)

verb (used with object), shot, shoot·ing.

verb (used without object), shot, shoot·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of shoot

SYNONYMS FOR shoot

Words related to shot

Example sentences from the Web for shot

British Dictionary definitions for shot (1 of 3)

noun

verb shots, shotting or shotted

Word Origin for shot

British Dictionary definitions for shot (2 of 3)

verb

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for shot (3 of 3)

verb shoots, shooting or shot

noun

interjection

Word Origin for shoot

Medical definitions for shot

n.

Scientific definitions for shot

Idioms and Phrases with shot (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with shot (2 of 2)