shot put

American  

[shot poot] / ˈʃɒt ˈpʊt /

noun

• shot puts
  plural

1. a field event in which a heavy ball or shot is thrown or put for distance.

2. a single throw or put of the shot.

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shot put British  

noun

1. an athletic event in which contestants hurl or put a heavy metal ball or shot as far as possible

2. a single put of the shot

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• shot-putter
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• shot puts
  plural

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

See Examples For:

shot put

She also matched her best of 1.86m in the high jump and threw 13.96m in the shot put.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

The heptathlon continues later with the shot put and 200m events completing the first day of competition, before the long jump, javelin and 800m take place on Saturday.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

By the way, despite medical treatments, B.P.J. recently won a state championship in girls shot put.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Jaslene Massey of Aliso Niguel is among the best all time to compete in the girls’ shot put and discus, and she always likes to perform well at Arcadia.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2026

Ellis nodded, and walked away into the dressing-room to change his light sprinting shoes for the heavier ones, with extra spikes in the heel, to be used in the shot put and high jump.

From Dick Randall The Young Athlete by Ellery H. Clark