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.
He once threw the shot put 51 feet, 7 1/2 inches, which is his claim to fame at North Hollywood High.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
Jamaica's Rajindra Campbell won the shot put with a 2026 world best of 21.77m.
From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026
Katarina Johnson-Thompson continued her heptathlon preparation by competing in the javelin and shot put on day two, having contested the 100m hurdles on Saturday.
From BBC • Aug. 3, 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 wayfarer, having no inclination to be shot, put spurs to his horse, and soon reached the château.
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. V, October, 1850, Volume I. by
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.
