shot put

American  

[shot poot] / ˈʃɒt ˈpʊt /

noun

shot puts plural

1. a field event in which a heavy ball or shot is thrown or put for distance.

2. a single throw or put of the shot.

---

shot put British  

noun

1. an athletic event in which contestants hurl or put a heavy metal ball or shot as far as possible

2. a single put of the shot

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• shot-putter
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• shot puts
  plural

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

See Examples For:

shot put

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

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

Great Britain qualified for Saturday's mixed 4x400m final second-fastest behind the United States, while Scott Lincoln became the first British man to make the world shot put final since 2009.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2025

One shot put the wireless apparatus on the Anglo-Californian out of action.

From New York Times Current History; The European War, Vol 2, No. 5, August, 1915 by Various