undershoot

[ uhn-der-shoot, uhn-der-shoot ]

verb (used with object)

, un·der·shot, un·der·shoot·ing.

1. to shoot or launch a projectile that strikes under or short of (a target).
2. Aeronautics. (of an aircraft or pilot) to land before reaching (a landing strip) because of a too rapid loss of altitude.

verb (used without object)

, un·der·shot, un·der·shoot·ing.

1. to shoot or launch a projectile so as to strike under or short of a target.

undershoot

/ ˌʌndəˈʃuːt /

verb

1. (of a pilot) to cause (an aircraft) to land short of (a runway) or (of an aircraft) to land in this way
2. to shoot a projectile so that it falls short of (a target)

Word History and Origins

Origin of undershoot¹

First recorded in 1655–65; under- + shoot ¹

Example Sentences

After outperforming in Lamar’s first year as starter, they’ve undershot each of the past three years.

From FiveThirtyEight

For example, in a survey of 2,200 adults, consumers’ guesses about calories in popular restaurant foods ranging from pancakes to onion rings undershot the reality by an average of 165 calories.

From Time

The company undershot the 181,000-vehicle threshold it needed to clear in the most recent quarter, a 30% jump over the July-September period.

From Fortune

The difficulty is, of course, not to undershoot, to fall short.

From Project Gutenberg