shotten
Americanadjective
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(of fish, especially herring) having recently ejected the spawn.
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Obsolete. (of a bone) dislocated.
adjective
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(of fish, esp herring) having recently spawned
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archaic worthless or undesirable
Etymology
Origin of shotten
1175–1225; Middle English, past participle of shoot 1
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.
But my father is now an old man well shotten in years and he is sore grieved in mind at this long separation from his youngest son.
From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 13 by Sir Richard Francis Burton
After they have let go their roes, they are called shotten mackerel, and are not worth catching; the roe, which was all that was good of them, being gone.
From The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual by William Kitchiner
Our Death will then soon set us where we cannot be reach'd by the Fist of Wickedness; and where the Perfect cannot be shotten at.
From The Wonders of the Invisible World Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches by Cotton Mather
Forth then shotten these children two, And they did never lin, Until they came to merry Churchlees, To merry Churchlees within.
From Ballads of Robin Hood and other Outlaws Popular Ballads of the Olden Times - Fourth Series by Frank Sidgwick
Now when their father, who was a man shotten in years, saw that his two eldest sons hated their brother, he feared lest after his death trouble should befall him from them.
From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 by Sir Richard Francis Burton
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