# shot

Pronunciation: say "SHOT" US /ʃɑt/, UK /ʃɒt/

## Verb

1. Simple past and past participle of shoot. — simple past and past participle of shoot
   - Simple: Simple past and past participle of shoot. Use this form for shooting that already happened.
   - _The officer shot into the air to warn the crowd._
   - _The film was shot entirely in black and white._

## Noun

2. A single photograph, or an unbroken run of recorded film or video between cuts.
   - Simple: A single photo, or a piece of film recorded without stopping the camera.
   - _The opening shot lingers on the empty street for nearly a minute._
   - _Photographers waited hours for the perfect shot of the eagle in flight._
3. In games played with a ball or similar object, the act of propelling it toward the goal.
   - Simple: A try at scoring by sending a ball toward the goal.
   - _The striker's shot deflected off a defender and went wide._
   - _A late shot from midfield nearly stole the game._
4. A chance or attempt to do or achieve something.
   - Simple: A chance or try at doing something.
   - _Every applicant deserves a fair shot at the job._
   - _He wanted one more shot at the championship title._
5. The act or result of firing a projectile or bullet from a weapon.
   - Simple: The firing of a gun, or the bullet that comes out of it.
   - _A single shot rang out from the woods._
   - _The hunter's shot brought down the deer instantly._
6. An injection of medicine or vaccine given with a needle. *(Australia, Canada, US)*
   - Simple: A small amount of medicine put into your body with a needle.
   - _The doctor recommended a booster shot this winter._
   - _Children receive several shots during their first year._
7. 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.
   - Simple: A small amount of a strong drink, such as whisky, espresso coffee, or a health juice, 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._
10. A remark or comment, especially a critical or insulting one.
   - Simple: A critical or unkind remark aimed at someone.
   - _Her closing line was a clear shot at the previous speaker._
   - _The columnist fired a shot at the mayor's new housing policy._
11. A person who shoots a gun or bow, considered in terms of how accurate their aim is.
   - Simple: A person who shoots, judged by how good their aim is.
   - _The sergeant was the best shot in the regiment._
   - _Only a skilled shot could hit a moving target at that range._
12. Balls or pellets of lead, iron, stone, or similar material used as ammunition, from the fine pellets in shotgun cartridges to solid cannonballs.
   - Simple: Small metal pellets or larger solid balls that are fired from guns or cannons.
   - _The cartridge was packed with fine lead shot._
   - _Birdshot uses far smaller pellets of shot than buckshot does._
8. The heavy metal ball thrown for distance in the shot put, or the shot put event itself.
   - Simple: The heavy metal ball thrown in the sport of shot put, or the sport itself.
   - _She placed second in the shot at the national championships._
   - _He switched from the discus to the shot last season._
13. A punch or other physical blow struck at someone. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: A punch or hard hit to the body.
   - _The boxer absorbed a hard shot but stayed on his feet._
   - _He threw a wild shot that missed completely._
14. In baseball, a home run, often described by the number of runs it scores, as in a solo shot or a two-run shot. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: In baseball, a home run.
   - _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._

## Adjective

9. Worn out or ruined: of a thing, broken and no longer working; of a person or their nerves, exhausted or drained. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Very worn out: a broken machine, or a person who is very tired or whose nerves are ruined.
   - _After ten years of hard use, the suspension was shot._
   - _The zipper on my jacket is shot and won't close anymore._
15. Discharged from or cleared of something; finally rid of it.
   - Simple: Free of something you wanted to get rid of.
   - _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._
17. Woven from warp and weft threads of different colors, giving the fabric an iridescent, shifting appearance.
   - Simple: Woven with threads of different colors so the cloth seems to change color in the light.
   - _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._

## Interjection

16. A casual expression of thanks, much like saying thank you. *(colloquial, New Zealand)*
   - Simple: A casual way of 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."_

## Verb

18. To feed small shot to a horse as a fraudulent way of hiding that it is broken-winded. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To feed small metal balls to a horse to dishonestly hide that it has a breathing illness.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To load a gun with metal or stone balls as ammunition.
- (noun) A written record documenting an inmate's infraction of the rules.
- (noun) A single cast of a fishing net, or the catch of fish brought up in that haul.
- (noun) A particular place or spot where fishing nets are set.
- (verb) To sell illegal drugs; to work as a dealer.
- (noun) One's share of a bill or common expense, especially the reckoning at a tavern; a contribution owed toward a shared cost.

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 9, 15, 17** — This sense comes from "shot" being the past participle of the verb "shoot."
**Meanings 2–8, 10–14, 18** — Proto-Germanic *skutą gave Old English sceot, the source of this word. It has a doublet in scot.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/shot (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).