shooter

American  

[shoo-ter] / ˈʃu tər /

noun

• shooters
  plural

1. a person who shoots with a gun, bow, etc..

   efforts to capture the shooter.

2. a gun (often used in combination).

   a six-shooter.

3. a person who shoots a ball, puck, etc., at a goal.

4. a thing that shoots.

   The meteor shower had many bright shooters.

5. a marble used to shoot at other marbles in a game.

6. a person who sets off explosives in oil-drilling operations.

7. Informal. a professional or amateur photographer.

8. first-person shooter.

9. 1. an alcoholic drink served in a shot glass or contained in a miniature bottle.

   2. a dessert or other food served in a shot glass or other very small container (usually used in combination).

      soup shooters; shooters of chocolate mousse.

   3. the container itself.

      white ceramic shooters.

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shooter British  

/ ˈʃuːtə /

noun

1. a person or thing that shoots

2. slang a gun

3. cricket a ball that unexpectedly travels low on pitching

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• shooters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of shooter

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at shoot ¹ -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shooter shooters

But Anthony Sanft, Davis’ defense lawyer, argued that the prosecution had no forensics, no eyewitness, and not a single shred of physical evidence placing Davis in the Cadillac with the shooter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

From the fifth ball he faced on Saturday, he was left helpless by the Abbas shooter that left him palpably lbw, a delivery to once again ignite debate about the Lord's pitch.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Ateneo de Zamboanga last month became one of many schools across the country to conduct active shooter drills.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

He didn't even get a Golden Boot trophy for being the 1958 tournament's top scorer - instead he was awarded an air rifle by a Swedish newspaper for being a "sharp shooter".

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Coach said I was the best shooter who’d ever played for him.

From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie

Days later, the courtroom gallery was abuzz when Ye slid into the second row, while one of the shooters, who has pleaded guilty, testified for the government.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Last season, he averaged 3.5 shots per 90 minutes in Ligue 1, placing him among the division's most active shooters despite operating from wide areas.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Washington and Tim Hardaway Jr., all of whom were athletic, three-point shooters and good defenders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

But the genius of his attack is that it doesn’t require shooters as otherworldly as Curry and Kevin Durant to work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

But shooters did not like to shoot a walker, because even a killed walker was worth no more than a wounded flyer—that is, one point in the scorekeeper’s book.

From "Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

• assassin
• gunman
• hit woman
• murderer
• sniper