shotgun

[shot-guhn]

noun

1. a smoothbore gun for firing small shot to kill birds and small quadrupeds, though often used with buckshot to kill larger animals.

2. Football.,  an offensive formation, designed primarily for passing situations, in which the backfield is spread out with the quarterback positioned a few yards behind the center and the other backs, as potential pass receivers, positioned as slotbacks or flankers.

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, used in, or carried out with a shotgun.

   a shotgun murder;

   shotgun pellets.

2. covering a wide area in an irregularly effective manner without concern for details or particulars; tending to be all-inclusive, nonselective, and haphazard; indiscriminate in choice and indifferent to specific results.

   He favored the shotgun approach in his political attacks.

3. seeking a desired result through the use or inclusion of a wide variety of elements.

4. having all the rooms opening one into the next in a line from front to back.

   shotgun apartment;

   shotgun cottage.

5. gained or characterized by coercive methods.

verb (used with object)

shotgunned, shotgunning 

1. to fire a shotgun at.

2. Slang.,  to drink (something, especially a beer) quickly, by puncturing a hole in the bottom of a can, placing one's mouth over the hole, and then opening the top of the can slightly, causing the liquid to drain down one's throat.

   I saw him shotgun a beer at the party last night.

shotgun

/ ˈʃɒtˌɡʌn /

noun

1. 1. a shoulder firearm with unrifled bore designed for the discharge of small shot at short range and used mainly for hunting small game

   2. ( as modifier )

      shotgun fire

2. American football an offensive formation in which the quarterback lines up for a snap unusually far behind the line of scrimmage

adjective

1. involving coercion or duress

   a shotgun merger

2. involving or relying on speculative suggestions, etc

   a shotgun therapy

verb

1. (tr) to shoot or threaten with or as if with a shotgun

Word History and Origins

Origin of shotgun¹

An Americanism dating back to 1770–80; shot ¹ ( def. ) + gun ¹ ( def. )

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. ride shotgun,

   1. to ride in the front passenger seat of a car.

      The ride-along program lets you ride shotgun in a racing car with a professional driver.

   2. to protect or keep a watchful eye on something.

      The treasurer is riding shotgun over the nation's economy.

   3. (formerly) to ride atop a stagecoach as a shotgun-bearing guard.

2. call shotgun, to preemptively claim the privilege of sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle.

   When I was a kid, calling shotgun was an important part of the drive to school.

More idioms and phrases containing shotgun

• ride shotgun

Example Sentences

That man pulled a shotgun out of a bag, screamed “F@#$ Urban Alchemy” to Alexander and shot him in his leg, according to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle.

From Los Angeles Times

The gruesome killings occurred after the brothers used cash to buy the shotguns and attacked their parents while they watched a movie in the family living room.

From Los Angeles Times

Stafford let a snap in the shotgun formation slip through his hands for a fumble and sack.

From Los Angeles Times

Judge Aileen Cannon, of the Southern District of Florida, threw out the complaint this week, ruling that Newsmax’s filing amounted to a “shotgun pleading.”

From Salon

The men in the vehicle ahead of us carried shotguns.

From BBC

Related Words

• cause 
• charge 
• compel 
• demand 
• drag 
• drive 
• impose 
• inflict 
• limit 
• make 
• move 
• oblige 
• order 
• press 
• pressure 
• require 
• restrict 
• urge