shotgun
Americannoun
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a smoothbore gun for firing small shot to kill birds and small quadrupeds, though often used with buckshot to kill larger animals.
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Football. an offensive formation, designed primarily for passing situations, in which the backfield is spread out with the quarterback positioned a few yards behind the center and the other backs, as potential pass receivers, positioned as slotbacks or flankers.
adjective
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of, pertaining to, used in, or carried out with a shotgun.
a shotgun murder;
shotgun pellets.
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covering a wide area in an irregularly effective manner without concern for details or particulars; tending to be all-inclusive, nonselective, and haphazard; indiscriminate in choice and indifferent to specific results.
He favored the shotgun approach in his political attacks.
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seeking a desired result through the use or inclusion of a wide variety of elements.
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having all the rooms opening one into the next in a line from front to back.
shotgun apartment;
shotgun cottage.
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gained or characterized by coercive methods.
verb (used with object)
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to fire a shotgun at.
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Slang. to drink (something, especially a beer) quickly, by puncturing a hole in the bottom of a can, placing one's mouth over the hole, and then opening the top of the can slightly, causing the liquid to drain down one's throat.
I saw him shotgun a beer at the party last night.
idioms
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ride shotgun,
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to ride in the front passenger seat of a car.
The ride-along program lets you ride shotgun in a racing car with a professional driver.
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to protect or keep a watchful eye on something.
The treasurer is riding shotgun over the nation's economy.
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(formerly) to ride atop a stagecoach as a shotgun-bearing guard.
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call shotgun, to preemptively claim the privilege of sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle.
When I was a kid, calling shotgun was an important part of the drive to school.
noun
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a shoulder firearm with unrifled bore designed for the discharge of small shot at short range and used mainly for hunting small game
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( as modifier )
shotgun fire
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American football an offensive formation in which the quarterback lines up for a snap unusually far behind the line of scrimmage
adjective
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involving coercion or duress
a shotgun merger
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involving or relying on speculative suggestions, etc
a shotgun therapy
verb
Etymology
Origin of shotgun
An Americanism dating back to 1770–80; shot 1 ( def. ) + gun 1 ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing shotgun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Then he launches into Shotgun, his biggest, singalongiest number, augmented by fireworks and confetti and arms being punched in the air.
From BBC • Jul. 23, 2023
Welcome to Day 2 of our coverage of Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, the two-night tribute concert at the Hollywood Bowl to Shotgun Willie on this, his 90th birthday weekend.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2023
Shotgun mergers to save failing banks have had a rocky history.
From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2023
Police said the investigation confirmed that “the incident” - Morant was not named in the release, which only made reference to “a prominent NBA player” - occurred at an establishment called Shotgun Willies in Glendale.
From Washington Times • Mar. 8, 2023
A burned-powder haze hung in the room, cutting the smell of Shotgun Cheatham.
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
