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

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Etymology

Origin of shooter

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shooter shooters

Neighbors did not identify the shooter by name, but recognized him from images posted to the social media accounts of his mother, Shauntai Nickerson.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

While police said the shooter was a local 16-year-old boy, they declined to add further details pending the ongoing investigation.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The pilot can issue commands to the shooter through the drones’ speakers until police arrive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Next, a jury will determine whether the shooter was sane at the time of the act.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

If Mr. Bontaff is about to say that Silas Fletcher was the shooter yesterday I don’t want to see him do it.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden

Martin Palafox, the second unit director on “Juiced” and one of the straighter shooters in “O.J. Unseen,” says, “I took the show because I needed to eat.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

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

Garcia joined Fields in the back row, watching as Steel cross-examined Kacey Hester, also known as OTF Jam, one of the admitted shooters.

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

With his eyes sparkling like beady marble shooters, Danny the K whistled that stupid TY dolphin song, and he dared me to do something about it.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia

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Related Words

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