point-and-shoot

American  

[point-n-shoot] / ˈpɔɪnt nˈʃut /

adjective

1. of or denoting a camera that does not require manual adjustment of shutter speed, focus, aperture, etc.

---

noun

1. a camera with such automatic features.

point-and-shoot British  

adjective

1. of or relating to a camera in which the lens aperture and shutter speed are automatically adjusted

---

Etymology

Origin of point-and-shoot

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Sure, someone might have taken a couple snapshots of the table — maybe your aunt with her point-and-shoot, the flash so bright it washed out the ham.

From Salon • Dec. 2, 2025

The point-and-shoot digital camera is one of the most prized rediscovered technologies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025

They’re set in beige basements and in cluttered dorm rooms, taken with the trusty family point-and-shoot or a handy smartphone.

From Slate • Oct. 5, 2023

Among the potential new Mozarts are kids from around the world in countries rich or poor, he said, who only need access to a computer and a phone or a point-and-shoot camera.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2023

She has meticulously documented the indoor temperature with a point-and-shoot thermometer and her phone camera — capturing temperatures in the 50s throughout the apartment.

From Washington Post • Feb. 18, 2022