shot

1
[ shot ]
See synonyms for shot on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural shots or, for 6, 8, shot.
  1. a discharge of a firearm, bow, etc.

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

  1. an aimed discharge of a missile.

  2. an attempt to hit a target with a missile.

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

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

  5. such pellets collectively: a charge of shot.

  6. a projectile for discharge from a firearm or cannon.

  7. such projectiles collectively: shot and shell.

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

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

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

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

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

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

  14. a remark aimed at some person or thing.

  15. a guess at something.

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

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

  18. an amount due, especially at a tavern.

  19. Photography.

    • a photograph, especially a snapshot: Here's a nice shot of my kids.

    • the act of making a photograph, especially a snapshot.

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

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

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

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

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

  25. 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.

  26. 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.
  1. to load or supply with shot.

  2. to weight with shot.

verb (used without object),shot·ted, shot·ting.
  1. to manufacture shot, as in a shot tower.

Idioms about shot

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

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

  1. 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.

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

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

  4. 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.

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

Origin of shot

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sc(e)ot, (ge)sceot; cognate with German Schoss, Geschoss; akin to shoot1

Other words for shot

Other words from shot

  • shotless, adjective
  • shotlike, adjective

Other definitions for shot (2 of 2)

shot2
[ shot ]

verb
  1. simple past tense and past participle of shoot1.

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

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

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

  2. Slang. intoxicated.

Origin of shot

2
First recorded in 1830–40, for the adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use shot in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shot (1 of 2)

shot1

/ (ʃɒt) /


noun
  1. the act or an instance of discharging a projectile

  2. 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

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

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

  3. informal an attempt; effort

  4. informal a guess or conjecture

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

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

    • a single photograph: I 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

  7. informal an injection, as of a vaccine or narcotic drug

  8. informal a glass of alcoholic drink, esp spirits

  9. sport a heavy metal ball used in the shot put

  10. an explosive charge used in blasting

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

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

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

  14. have a shot at informal

    • to attempt

    • Australian to jibe at or vex

  15. like a shot very quickly, esp willingly

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

  17. shot in the dark a wild guess

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

verbshots, shotting or shotted
  1. (tr) to weight or load with shot

Origin of shot

1
Old English scot; related to Old Norse skot, Old High German scoz missile; see shoot

British Dictionary definitions for shot (2 of 2)

shot2

/ (ʃɒt) /


verb
  1. the past tense and past participle of shoot

adjective
  1. (of textiles) woven to give a changing colour effect: shot silk

  2. streaked with colour

  1. slang exhausted

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with shot

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.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.