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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
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
Now in high school, she recently won a state championship in the shot put event and placed fourth in the discus event.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
Jamaica's Rajindra Campbell won the shot put with a 2026 world best of 21.77m.
From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026
Scott Lincoln placed eighth in his first World Championship shot put final.
From BBC • Sep. 13, 2025
Twice the Angelic maneuvered out of the path of a torpedo, and then, with a well directed shot, put the submarine out of the battle.
From The Boy Allies with Uncle Sam's Cruisers by Hayes, Clair W. (Clair Wallace)
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.