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shooter

American  
[shoo-ter] / ˈʃu tər /

noun

  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.

    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.
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

"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

Etymology

Origin of shooter

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

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.

Police did not identify the shooter or the victims, saying they wanted to ensure family members are notified.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

The shooter has been identified as a 58-year-old man who was originally from the Russian capital, Moscow, but who had been living in the Holosiivskyi district in the lead-up to the shooting.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Kneepkens is a shooter who can play decent defense and is likely as WNBA-ready as anyone in this first round.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

Several high-value productions in the team shooter genre have fallen flat in recent years, with titles such as "Concord" or "Highguard" quickly taken offline after failing to win a loyal player base.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

The three green suits backed up and dropped to their knees, hunching down to get the metal ramp between them and the shooter.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

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.