shot

1 a directed propelling of a missile by a firearm or artillery piece <cannon operators often had to use several shots to figure out the range of their targets> Synonyms blasting, discharge, firing Related Words potshot; barrage, blitz, blitzkrieg, bombardment, broadside, burst, cannonade, drumfire, fusillade, hail, salvo, shower, storm, volley

2 an effort to do or accomplish something <let's take another shot at the puzzle> Synonyms assay [archaic], bash [chiefly British], bid, crack, endeavor, essay, fling, go, offer, pass, attempt, stab, trial, try, whack, whirlRelated Words striving, struggle, throes, undertaking; trial and error

3 a picture created from an image recorded on a light-sensitive surface by a camera <took a shot of his family for the scrapbook> Synonyms photo, pic, print, photograph, snap, snapshotRelated Words blowup, close-up, enlargement, still; telephoto; daguerreotype, ferrotype, monochrome, sepia, tintype

4 a person skilled in shooting at a target <a soldier who's an excellent shot with a rifle> Synonyms sharpshooter, shooter, marksmanRelated Words sniper; rifleman; trapshooter; gun, gunman, gunner; markswoman

5 the portion of a serving of a beverage that is swallowed at one time <drank a shot of whisky> Synonyms belt, draft, drag, gulp, nip, quaff, drink, sip, slug, snort, sup, swallow, swig, swillRelated Words dram, drop

6 an opinion or judgment based on little or no evidence <I have no idea what's different about you, but I'll take a shot: you cut your hair?> Synonyms guess, conjecture, supposition, surmiseRelated Words hypothesis, hypothetical, theory, thesis; dead reckoning, guessing, guesswork, speculation; hunch, intuition; belief, faith

7 a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place <we have a real shot at getting into the championship if we win this next match> Synonyms break, chance, occasion, opening, room, opportunityRelated Words play, way; juncture, pass