shotgun

noun shot·gun \ ˈshät-ˌgən \

Updated on: 8 Dec 2017

Definition of shotgun

1 : a smoothbore shoulder weapon for firing shot at short ranges

2 : an offensive football formation in which the quarterback plays a few yards behind the line of scrimmage and the other backs are scattered as flankers or slotbacks

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shotgun

transitive verb

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shotgunner

play \ˈshät-ˌgə-nər\ noun

See shotgun defined for English-language learners

See shotgun defined for kids

Recent Examples of shotgun from the Web

Background: Affordable shotguns planned at Broadway and Baxter Read this: Louisville has honored 'hometown heroes' with a banner since 2002.

— sheldon s. shafer, The Courier-Journal, "New nonprofit plans to restore five shotgun houses near Cave Hill Cemetery," 9 Oct. 2017
The woman’s body is curled around a shotgun Cora seems to recognize.

— amy weiss-meyer, The Atlantic, "The Floating World," 4 Nov. 2017
Most notably, the difference running with Dalton under center versus the shotgun.

— paul dehner jr., Cincinnati.com, "Separating fact from fiction in Bengals run game," 25 Oct. 2017
Morey returned to his hunting spot and picked up his shotgun with the muzzle pointing at his left forearm, Brock said.

— michelle l. quinn, Post-Tribune, "Hammond man injured in hunting accident," 24 Sep. 2017
Ada County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a hunter who reportedly punched another man in the face and then hit him with the butt of a shotgun, according to a press release.

— nicole blanchard, idahostatesman, "Ada sheriff: Hunter punched a man, then hit him with a shotgun. Can you help find him?," 23 Oct. 2017
The men had been sitting in a powder blue Cadillac on Hutchings Street when a killer with a shotgun blasted them inside.

— eric adler, glenn rice and max londberg, kansascity, "Lamonte McIntyre, a KCK man imprisoned for 23 years, will be set free | The Kansas City Star," 13 Oct. 2017
Paddock bought the shotgun in February and last visited the store in St. George, Utah, in the spring.

— Bloomberg.com, "URGENT: The Latest: Police Search Shooter's House in Reno, Nevada," 3 Oct. 2017
Some, the brothers chased away with a shotgun straight away; others promised to return with funds and plans but never did.

— naomi renee cohen, Slate Magazine, "The Civilization in the Backyard," 15 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shotgun.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of shotgun

1776

shotgun

adjective

Definition of shotgun

1 : of, relating to, or using a shotgun

2 : involving coercion

3 : covering a wide field with hit-or-miss effectiveness

Recent Examples of shotgun from the Web

Outing highlights include: Registration, lunch and a putting contest (noon) Shotgun start (1:30 p.m.) Dinner (6:30 p.m.) Proximities, skins, awards and a 50/50 raffle Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the event.

— megan becka, cleveland.com, "Akron Snow Angels to hold golf outing fundraiser," 13 June 2017
Check-in at 11 a.m. followed by 1 p.m. shotgun start.

— nick roth, The Mercury News, "Golf events, tournaments, fundraisers," 7 June 2017
Lunch and registration begin at 11 a.m., with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start.

— Post-Tribune, "Community calendar," 7 July 2017
Outing highlights include: Registration, lunch and a putting contest (noon) Shotgun start (1:30 p.m.) Dinner (6:30 p.m.) Proximities, skins, awards and a 50/50 raffle Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the event.

— megan becka, cleveland.com, "Akron Snow Angels to hold golf outing fundraiser," 13 June 2017

First Known Use of shotgun

1892

SHOTGUN Defined for English Language Learners

shotgun

noun

Definition of shotgun for English Language Learners

: a gun with a long barrel that shoots a large number of small metal balls (called buckshot)
American football : an offensive formation in which the quarterback is a few yards behind the line of scrimmage at the start of a play