shooting
Pluralshootings
Pluralshootings
- 1A single event where someone fires a gun or other weapon, often hurting or killing someone.
The shooting left two people injured outside the store.
Police are still investigating last night's shooting downtown.
UsageSay a shooting at a place. More than one is shootings.
Note
- 2Present participle of shoot, used in phrases like "is shooting" or "kept shooting", with any meaning of the verb.
The hose was shooting water clear across the yard.
Flames were shooting out of the upstairs windows.
UsageOften with a direction: flames shooting out of a window.
- 3Firing guns or other weapons, for example as a sport.
She took up shooting after joining the local club.
Competitive shooting needs steady hands and good focus.
UsageSay go shooting or take up shooting, with no a, like fishing.
Note
- 4The work of recording video for a movie or TV show.
Like taking lots of photos, but as moving video for a film.
Shooting for the movie took almost three months.
During the shooting of the film, the actors lived in tents.
UsageSay a shoot for one day of filming; a shooting sounds like guns.
Similarfilming, production, recording
- 5Trying to get the ball into the basket or goal to score, in games like basketball or soccer.
Her shooting got much better after a summer of practice at the park.
We passed the ball well, but our shooting in front of the goal was poor.
Similarfinishing
Note
Less common meanings
- 6A feeling of sharp pain that moves quickly through the body.
Like a fast jolt of pain that passes through you in a flash.
She felt a quick shooting in her leg when she stood up.
Every time he bent over, he felt a shooting in his lower back.
UsagePeople usually say a shooting pain instead.
- 7
- 8Moving or growing very fast.
A shooting star blazed across the sky before it vanished.
We watched shooting sparks fly up from the campfire.
UsageMostly used in shooting star.
- 9An area of land where people are allowed to hunt animals with guns.
Showing meanings only.
shooting is a form of shoot
shoot, verb: To hit a person, animal, or target with a bullet or arrow from a gun or bow. Full entry
- Spelling
- shoot → shooting: add -ing
Practice
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Origin
It comes from an old English word 'scotung' meaning shooting, from the verb 'shoot' plus '-ing'.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Shooting descends from Old English scotung. en.wiktionary.org
- Scotung meant shooting. upload.wikimedia.org
- Its formation is equivalent to shoot plus -ing. en.wiktionary.org