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. 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.

2. 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.

More idioms and phrases containing shotgun

In addition to the idiom beginning with shotgun , also see ride shotgun .

Example Sentences

So far, none of the circumstances surrounding MacDonald's possession of his shotgun certificate has been made public.

From BBC

Both are played by Hamill, who has unwisely asked the narrator to ride shotgun to the artist.

From New York Times

The free radical species generated, hydroxyl radical, is extremely reactive and hits DNA like a shotgun blast, causing damage everywhere, Burrows said.

From Science Daily

"I pulled up, got out of the car, and then from just in front of me, Gareth leapt out from the shadows, shotgun up at my chest," she said.

From BBC

"Some carry pistols, shotguns and semi-automatic weapons to protect themselves from rival gangs of miners," it added.

From BBC

Related Words

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