shooter
Americannoun
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a person who shoots with a gun, bow, etc..
efforts to capture the shooter.
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a gun (often used in combination).
a six-shooter.
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a person who shoots a ball, puck, etc., at a goal.
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a thing that shoots.
The meteor shower had many bright shooters.
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a marble used to shoot at other marbles in a game.
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a person who sets off explosives in oil-drilling operations.
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Informal. a professional or amateur photographer.
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an alcoholic drink served in a shot glass or contained in a miniature bottle.
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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.
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the container itself.
white ceramic shooters.
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noun
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a person or thing that shoots
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slang a gun
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cricket a ball that unexpectedly travels low on pitching
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.
San Diego police Monday swarmed an Islamic center and mosque amid reports of an active shooter in the area.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
Oborski explained that what the drone actually does depends on what the shooter or potential shooter does.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
When it was his turn to take the witness stand last month, Jones testified that he believed he was rushing into an active shooter situation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
World leaders expressed shock after a shooter charged a glitzy media gala in Washington on Saturday night attended by US President Donald Trump -- and relief that there were no casualties.
From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026
"What kind of message does it send to the people of Underhill, when one of their own can he taken down with no consequences to the shooter?" one protestor wondered.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
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.
