call ones shots

shot

1 [shot] noun, plural shots or for 6, 8, shot; verb, shot·ted, shot·ting.
noun
1.
a discharge of a firearm, bow, etc.
2.
the range of or the distance traveled by a missile in its flight.
3.
an aimed discharge of a missile.
4.
an attempt to hit a target with a missile.
5.
an act or instance of shooting a firearm, bow, etc.
6.
a small ball or pellet of lead, a number of which are loaded in a cartridge and used for one charge of a shotgun.
7.
such pellets collectively: a charge of shot.
8.
a projectile for discharge from a firearm or cannon.
9.
such projectiles collectively: shot and shell.
10.
a person who shoots; marksman: He was a good shot.
11.
Slang. a blow; punch: The prizefighter was knocked out by a shot in the chin.
12.
anything like a shot, especially in being sudden and forceful.
13.
a heavy metal ball that competitors cast as far as possible in shot-putting contests.
14.
an aimed stroke, throw, or the like, as in certain games, especially in an attempt to score.
15.
an attempt or try: He's entitled to a shot at the championship.
16.
a remark aimed at some person or thing.
17.
a guess at something.
18.
a hypodermic injection, as of a serum, vaccine, narcotic, or anaesthetic: He took a series of immunizing shots for hay fever.
19.
a small quantity, especially an ounce, of undiluted liquor.
20.
an amount due, especially at a tavern.
21.
Photography.
a.
a photograph, especially a snapshot: Here's a nice shot of my kids.
b.
the act of making a photograph, especially a snapshot.
22.
Movies, Television. a unit of action photographed without interruption and constituting a single camera view.
23.
an explosive charge in place for detonation, as in mining or quarrying.
24.
Metallurgy. comparatively hard globules of metal in the body of a casting.
25.
Nautical. a 90-foot (27-meter) length of anchor cable or chain.
26.
Checkers. a compulsory series of exchanges, especially when it proves favorable to the aggressor.
27.
Textiles.
a.
a pick sent through the shed in a single throw of the shuttle.
b.
(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.
c.
a defect in a fabric caused by an unusual color or size in the yarn.
28.
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)
29.
to load or supply with shot.
30.
to weight with shot.
00:10
Call ones shots is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
verb (used without object)
31.
to manufacture shot, as in a shot tower.
Idioms
32.
by a long shot. long shot ( def 4 ).
33.
call one's shots, Informal. to indicate beforehand what one intends to do and how one intends to do it.
34.
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.
35.
have/take a shot at, make an attempt at: I'll have a shot at solving the problem.
36.
like a shot, instantly; quickly: He bolted out of here like a shot.
37.
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.
38.
shot in the dark, Informal. a wild guess; a random conjecture.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English sc(e)ot, (ge)sceot; cognate with German Schoss, Geschoss; akin to shoot

Related forms
shot·less, adjective
shot·like, adjective

Synonyms
15. chance, go, essay.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
shot1 (ʃɒt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , shot
1.  the act or an instance of discharging a projectile
2.  a solid missile, such as an iron ball or a lead pellet, discharged from a firearm
3.  a.  small round pellets of lead collectively, as used in cartridges
 b.  metal in the form of coarse powder or small pellets
4.  the distance that a discharged projectile travels or is capable of travelling
5.  a person who shoots, esp with regard to his ability: he is a good shot
6.  informal an attempt; effort
7.  informal a guess or conjecture
8.  any act of throwing or hitting something, as in certain sports
9.  the launching of a rocket, missile, etc, esp to a specified destination: a moon shot
10.  a.  a single photograph: I took 16 shots of the wedding
 b.  a series of frames on cine film concerned with a single event
 c.  a length of film taken by a single camera without breaks, used with others to build up a full motion picture or television film
11.  informal an injection, as of a vaccine or narcotic drug
12.  informal a glass of alcoholic drink, esp spirits
13.  sport a heavy metal ball used in the shot put
14.  an explosive charge used in blasting
15.  globules of metal occurring in the body of a casting that are harder than the rest of the casting
16.  a unit of chain length equal to 75 feet (Brit) or 90 feet (US)
17.  slang call the shots to have control over an organization, course of action, etc
18.  informal have a shot at
 a.  to attempt
 b.  (Austral) to jibe at or vex
19.  like a shot very quickly, esp willingly
20.  informal shot in the arm anything that regenerates, increases confidence or efficiency, etc: his arrival was a shot in the arm for the company
21.  shot in the dark a wild guess
22.  informal (Austral) that's the shot that is the right thing to do
 
—vb , shot, shots, shotting, shotted
23.  (tr) to weight or load with shot
 
[Old English scot; related to Old Norse skot, Old High German scoz missile; see shoot]

shot2 (ʃɒt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—vb
1.  the past tense and past participle of shoot
 
—adj
2.  (of textiles) woven to give a changing colour effect: shot silk
3.  streaked with colour
4.  slang exhausted
5.  slang get shot of, get shut of to get rid of

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

shot
O.E. scot, sceot "an act of shooting, that which is discharged in shooting," from P.Gmc. *skutan (cf. O.N. skutr, O.Fris. skete, M.Du. scote, Ger. Schuß "a shot"), related to sceotan "to shoot" (see shoot). Meaning "discharge of a bow, missile," is from O.E. gesceot;
extended to other projectiles in M.E., and to sports (hockey, basketball, etc.) 1868. Another original meaning, "payment," is preserved in scot-free. Meaning "drink of straight liquor" first attested 1676. Meaning "try, attempt" is from 1756; adj. sense of "exhausted" is from 1930. Sense of "hypodermic injection" first attested 1904; fig. phrase shot in the arm "stimulant" first recorded 1922. Meaning "remark meant to wound" is recorded from 1841; hence cheap shot (1973). To call the shots is first attested 1967; shot in the dark is from 1895.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

shot (shŏt)
n.

  1. A hypodermic injection.

  2. A small amount given or applied at one time.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
shoot   (sht)  Pronunciation Key 
The part of a vascular plant that is above ground, including the stem and leaves. The tips of shoots contain the apical meristem.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary

shot definition


  1. n.
    a try at something. : Go ahead. Give it another shot.
  2. mod.
    exhausted; ruined. : Here's your pen back. It's shot anyway.
  3. n.
    a rocket launching. : The shot was canceled because of the weather.
  4. n.
    a small or quickly drunk drink of liquor, usually whiskey. : He stopped at every bar on the strip for a quick shot.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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