gunshot

noun gun·shot \ ˈgən-ˌshät \

Definition of gunshot

1 :shot or a projectile fired from a gun

2 :the range of a gun

3 :the firing of a gun

See gunshot defined for English-language learners

See gunshot defined for kids

Examples of gunshot in a Sentence

He was killed by a gunshot to the head.

Recent Examples of gunshot from the Web

The mother, Celisa Henning, 41, suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, according to the Will County coroner’s office.

— alicia fabbre, Daily Southtown, "Mass remembers Joliet twins, mom who died in apparent murder-suicide," 30 Aug. 2017
Three of the gunshots fired by officers Jason Anderson and Steven McNew struck Lyles in the front of the torso and chest, three struck her in the back or rear of her arm, and one grazed the side of her ribs, according to the report.

— christine clarridge, The Seattle Times, "Autopsy shows Charleena Lyles was shot 7 times by police," 30 Aug. 2017
Paramedics took the woman to a hospital with a gunshot wounds to the arm.

— david hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Woman shot in Spring Valley; suspected shooter arrested," 29 Aug. 2017
Payne's comment was delivered in wake of the gunshot wound suffered by teammate Raekwon Davis outside a Tuscaloosa bar early Sunday morning.

— creg stephenson, AL.com, "LSU-BYU game moved to New Orleans due to Hurricane Harvey," 28 Aug. 2017
Just before 1:05 p.m., an 18-year-old man suffered four gunshot wounds to the lower back in the 9700 block of South Calumet Avenue in the Rosemoor neighborhood on the Far South Side, according to a police media notification.

— chicago tribune staff, chicagotribune.com, "1 dead, 2 wounded in Chicago shootings," 28 Aug. 2017
A person suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck was found Monday afternoon at the pavilion of the Norton Healthcare building on East Broadway.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Person found shot at Norton Healthcare Pavillion on Broadway," 28 Aug. 2017
Police identified the gunshot victims as Jamaris Frierson, 16, of Hobart, and Nathaniel Bobo, 25, of Gary.

— carole carlson, Post-Tribune, "Seeking divine intervention in Gary's violent streets," 26 Aug. 2017
Four men wearing fake suicide vests were killed during a shootout, while a fifth died from gunshot wounds later.

— tina nguyen, The Hive, "Massive Manhunt Underway After Barcelona Attacks Kill 13," 18 Aug. 2017

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

First Known Use of gunshot

15th century

GUNSHOT Defined for English Language Learners

gunshot

noun

Definition of gunshot for English Language Learners

: bullets fired from a gun
: the firing of a gun
: the distance that a bullet fired from a gun can travel

GUNSHOT Defined for Kids

gunshot

noun gun·shot \ ˈgən-ˌshät \

Definition of gunshot for Students

1 :a shot from a gun

2 :the distance that can be reached by a gun

Learn More about gunshot

See words that rhyme with gunshot Spanish Central: Translation of gunshot Nglish: Translation of gunshot for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gunshot for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gunshot

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