shot put
Americannoun
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a field event in which a heavy ball or shot is thrown or put for distance.
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a single throw or put of the shot.
noun
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an athletic event in which contestants hurl or put a heavy metal ball or shot as far as possible
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a single put of the shot
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of shot put
First recorded in 1895–1900; shot 1 (in the sense “projectile for discharge from a firearm”) + put (in the sense “to throw or cast”)
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.
Jamaica's Rajindra Campbell won the shot put with a 2026 world best of 21.77m.
From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026
Her attorney, Joshua Block of the American Civil Liberties Union, said she has been winning in the shot put and discus “through hard work and practice.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026
Terry Hopkins, external: Won shot put gold at the 1992 Paralympics and another bronze and a discus silver at the 1988 Games.
From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025
Giving Harel a high-five after his win was Notre Dame senior Aja Johnson, who won the girls’ shot put for the second time in three years with a throw of 45-05¾.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2025
The ring for the shot put was in first-class shape; two shots, one iron, one lead, lay close by.
From Dick Randall The Young Athlete by Clark, Ellery H.
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.
