Parthian shot

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noun

a sharp, telling remark, act, gesture, etc., made in departing.

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Origin of Parthian shot

First recorded in 1900–05; so called from the ancient Parthian cavalry's habit of shooting arrows rearward at the enemy while in real or feigned flight

Words nearby Parthian shot

Parthenope, Parthenos, parthenospore, Parthia, Parthian, Parthian shot, par-three, parti, partial, partial agglutinin, partial antigen

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use Parthian shot in a sentence

The al Qaeda-linked gunmen shot back, but only managed to injure one officer before they were taken out.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The cartoonist, better known as Charb, was shot dead Wednesday.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The gunman hardly broke stride as he nonetheless shot Merabet in the head, killing him.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists|Michael Daly|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A policewoman was shot dead this morning while law enforcement searched for the Charlie Lebdo killers.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

“I heard them say, ‘He was shot twice,’” the father, Joseph Dossi, remembers.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There was no fighting; a rifle shot now and then from the crests where we saw our fellows clearly.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
A was an Archer, who shot at a frog; B was a Butcher, and had a great dog.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
Dockier, a prominent leader of the Levelers, in the times of the English commonwealth, was shot by order of the government.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
There was not a moment to lose, for one well-directed shot might exterminate half of us.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Then, having shot nothing that day, he turned towards the Pole with a feeling of disappointment.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for Parthian shot

Parthian shot

noun

another term for parting shot

Word Origin for Parthian shot

alluding to the custom of Parthian archers who shot their arrows backwards while retreating

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