shot

SaySHOT/ʃɑt//ʃɒt/

Noun pluralshots

24 meanings of shot

1
fired atverb
Simple past and past participle of shoot.
The officer shot into the air to warn the crowd.
The film was shot entirely in black and white.
UsageOne form for both uses: they shot, have shot, was shot (not ~~incorrect: shooted~~).
2
camera imagenouncountable or uncountable
A single photograph, or an unbroken run of recorded film or video between cuts.
The opening shot lingers on the empty street for nearly a minute.
Photographers waited hours for the perfect shot of the eagle in flight.
UsageSay take a shot or get a shot of something: a great shot of the sunset.
Similarphoto, photograph, picture, image
Note
Photography and film share the word but measure it differently. A still shot is one exposure, while a film shot runs unbroken until the cut.
3
at goalnouncountable or uncountable
In games played with a ball or similar object, the act of propelling it toward the goal.
The striker's shot deflected off a defender and went wide.
A late shot from midfield nearly stole the game.
UsagePlayers take a shot; keepers save shots. In basketball you make or miss a shot.
Similarstrike, kick, effort, attempt
Note
Sport borrows the gunfire image: a ball struck at a goal is aimed like a bullet. Its target is what separates a shot from a pass.
4
chancenounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
A chance or attempt to do or achieve something.
Every applicant deserves a fair shot at the job.
He wanted one more shot at the championship title.
UsageUsually a shot at + noun or -ing: a shot at the title, a shot at winning. Also give it your best shot.
Similarchance, try, attempt, go (entry), crack
5
a firingnouncountable or uncountable
The act or result of firing a projectile or bullet from a weapon.
A single shot rang out from the woods.
The hunter's shot brought down the deer instantly.
Similargunshot, report, blast
6
injectionnounAustraliaCanadaUScountable or uncountable
An injection of medicine or vaccine given with a needle.
The doctor recommended a booster shot this winter.
Children receive several shots during their first year.
UsageSay get a shot, often named for the disease: a flu shot, a tetanus shot.
Similarinjection, jab, vaccination, inoculation
Note
The everyday medical word in the US, Canada and Australia. The Everglades News of 1936 already reports a child taken to the doctor "for a tetanus shot."
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
The Everglades News reported in 1936 that a child was taken to a doctor "for a tetanus shot." Wiktionary identifies the issue as 28 August 1936, page 3. en.wiktionary.org
7
alcoholnouncountable or uncountable
A small measured serving of a strong or concentrated drink, such as spirits, espresso, or a juice or health tonic, often drunk in one go.
The bartender poured a shot of tequila for each guest.
After two shots of vodka, he decided to call it a night.
UsageSay a shot of tequila or a shot of espresso, often drunk from a shot glass.
Similarmeasure, dram, nip, shooter
Note
Bar measures come in sizes: the standard shot, and the smaller pony shot of about one fluid ounce. The word covers spirits taken neat from a shot glass or straight from the bottle. It also covers a measure poured into something else, like a shot of whisky in coffee. Chappell Roan's Good Luck, Babe! (2024) sets the noun beside the verb behind it, pairing the two.
8
throwing eventnoununcountable
The heavy metal ball thrown for distance in the shot put, or the shot put event itself.
She placed second in the shot at the national championships.
He switched from the discus to the shot last season.
UsageUsually the shot, and you compete in it: second in the shot.
Note
Track-and-field shorthand: the event called shot put is often just the shot, with the definite article and no plural. It pairs naturally with the other throws. Harry L. Borba's 1929 profile in The Vernon Daily Record has a young athlete practicing "in the shot and discus."
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
Harry L. Borba's profile appeared in The Vernon Daily Record in 1929. en.wiktionary.org
The profile describes a young athlete practicing and contains the exact phrase “in the shot and discus.” en.wiktionary.org

Less common meanings

9
brokenadjectivecolloquial
Worn out or ruined: of a thing, broken and no longer working; of a person or their nerves, exhausted or drained.
After ten years of hard use, the suspension was shot.
The zipper on my jacket is shot and won't close anymore.
UsageUsually after be: the engine is shot, my nerves are shot. It compares with more: more shot than mine.
Similarbroken, ruined, worn, busted, kaput
Oppositeworking, functional, intact, sound
Note
Here the past participle of shoot settles into an everyday adjective for anything used up beyond repair. It sits comfortably after be (the axle is shot), and it stretches from machinery to people: Garret Keizer writes of a body that "is more shot than mine."
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
The adjective shot derives from the past participle of shoot. en.wiktionary.org
Garret Keizer writes of a body using the exact words "is more shot than mine." en.wiktionary.org
10
rude commentnouncountable or uncountable
A remark or comment, especially a critical or insulting one.
Her closing line was a clear shot at the previous speaker.
The columnist fired a shot at the mayor's new housing policy.
UsageUsually take a shot at or fire a shot at someone. A cheap shot is an unfair remark.
Similardig, jab, swipe, barb, jibe
Oppositecompliment
Note
A politician taking nasty shots from his own party is under attack in words, and the adjective tells how sharp the remarks were. Unlike the physical blow, the hit here is made with language.
11
person's aimnouncountable or uncountable
A person who shoots a gun or bow, considered in terms of how accurate their aim is.
The sergeant was the best shot in the regiment.
Only a skilled shot could hit a moving target at that range.
UsageUsually with an adjective: a good shot, a lousy shot, the best shot in the regiment.
Similarmarksman, shooter, sharpshooter
Note
Jane Austen, in a story written in her youth, uses it of a sporting gentleman, "Sir William was a Shot," who could not bear to lose a day's shooting.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
Jane Austen wrote the story, Sir William Mountague, in her youth. janeaustens.house
The narrator describes Sir William as a 'Shot', and he cannot bear to lose a day's shooting. janeaustens.house
12
pelletsnoununcountable
Balls or pellets of lead, iron, stone, or similar material used as ammunition, from the fine pellets in shotgun cartridges to solid cannonballs.
The cartridge was packed with fine lead shot.
Birdshot uses far smaller pellets of shot than buckshot does.
UsageNo plural for the pellets: lead shot, steel shot; a cartridge holds shot.
Similarpellets
13
punchnounslangUScountable or uncountable
A punch or other physical blow struck at someone.
The boxer absorbed a hard shot but stayed on his feet.
He threw a wild shot that missed completely.
UsageA fighter takes a shot or throws one. In formal writing, punch or blow is safer.
Similarpunch, blow, hit, swing
14
home runnouncolloquialcountable or uncountable
In baseball, a home run, often described by the number of runs it scores, as in a solo shot or a two-run shot.
A late three-run shot turned a close game into a comfortable win.
The rookie's two-run shot tied the game in the bottom of the ninth.
Similarhomer, blast, dinger
15
rid ofadjective
Discharged from or cleared of something; finally rid of it.
After years of payments, they were at last shot of their debts.
He couldn't wait to be shot of the dull job he had endured for a decade.
UsageUsed with of: be shot of something, glad to be shot of it.
Similarfree
Note
Walter Scott writes "are you not glad to be fairly shot of him?" in The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), with fairly adding the sense of finally and completely.
16
thanksinterjectioncolloquialNew Zealand
A casual expression of thanks, much like saying thank you.
Shot for grabbing my coffee while you were up.
She handed back the keys with a quick "Shot, that saved my evening."
UsageStands alone or takes for: shot for that.
Similarthanks, cheers, ta
17
color-changing clothadjective
Woven from warp and weft threads of different colors, giving the fabric an iridescent, shifting appearance.
Her evening gown was made of shot silk that glowed green and gold by candlelight.
The upholstery used a shot fabric that looked rose from one side and slate from the other.
UsageBefore a noun: shot silk. With through for threads across a surface: shot through with silver.
Similariridescent, changeable
Note
A weaver's term, used most of all of silk. Two colors cross in the cloth, so the surface changes as it moves.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
Crossing differently colored warp and weft yarns produces an iridescent appearance. en.wikipedia.org
18
verbobsoletetransitive
To feed small shot to a horse as a fraudulent way of hiding that it is broken-winded.
Note
A horse-dealer's fraud now met only in old writing: lead shot fed to a broken-winded horse to hide the fault from a buyer. It shares its spelling with loading a gun, since both are built from the noun for small balls.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
Horse dealers administered lead shot to broken-winded horses to conceal the condition when selling them. gutenberg.org
The horse-feeding and gun-loading verbs share the noun-based etymological group; their derivation from the ammunition noun is supported by that grouping and their definitions. en.wiktionary.org
19
verb
To load a gun with metal or stone balls as ammunition.
20
noun
A written record documenting an inmate's infraction of the rules.
21
noun
A single cast of a fishing net, or the catch of fish brought up in that haul.
22
nounrare
A particular place or spot where fishing nets are set.
23
verbdialectalMulticultural London English
To sell illegal drugs; to work as a dealer.
24
nounarchaic
One's share of a bill or common expense, especially the reckoning at a tavern; a contribution owed toward a shared cost.
Here no shots are where all sharers be.
1614, Homer, Homer’s Odysses

shot is a form of shoot

shoot, verb: To strike and wound or kill a person or animal, or hit a target, with a projectile fired from a weapon. Full entry

Forms: shootshoots he/she/itshooting -ing formshot past tense, past participle
Spelling: shoot → shot: irregular (no -ed)

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1, 9, 15, 17

This sense comes from "shot" being the past participle of the verb "shoot."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

Shot in the first etymological group comes from the past participle of shoot. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 2–8, 10–14, 18

Proto-Germanic *skutą gave Old English sceot, the source of this word. It has a doublet in scot.