shotgun

play

noun shot·gun \ˈshät-ˌgən\

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

shotgun

transitive verb

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

Registration begins at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Foursomes can register in advance at the business office of the Hammond Civic Center, 5825 S. Sohl Ave. between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

— Post-Tribune, "Community news", 5 July 2017
Paul George won’t spend next season riding shotgun with LeBron James, joining a Superteam in Boston or heading home to be the face of the Lakers.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "Trade Grades: Thunder Poach Paul George From Pacers In Stunner", 2 July 2017
Officers recovered marijuana, pills and more than two ounces of meth from the location, in addition to a rifle, shotgun, handgun, cash and drug paraphernalia, according to an arrest citation.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Six arrested in Jeffersontown after search warrant for suspected meth trafficking", 28 June 2017
Shooters can also shoot their shotguns at the range.

— joe songer, AL.com, "Sheepdog Firearms: New gun store and indoor shooting range opens in Trussville", 27 June 2017
However, villagers dismissed the police version, saying the casualties occurred when the Indian forces fired live ammunition, shotgun pellets and tear gas to disperse the protesters.

— aijaz hussain, The Seattle Times, "6 police killed in rebel ambush in Indian-controlled Kashmir", 16 June 2017
And his shotgun being confiscated after a domestic quarrel among him, his daughter and two of the daughter's chums.

— The Hive, "G.O.P. Baseball Shooter’s Hometown Races for Answers", 15 June 2017
He was also alleged to have pointed a 12-gauge shotgun at a man who attempted to intervene in the dispute and struck him in the head with the butt of the gun, according to the report.

— ari natter, Bloomberg.com, "Scalise Gunman Dodged 2006 Charge That Would Bar Gun Purchases", 15 June 2017
At about 11:45 p.m. May 26, two handguns and a shotgun were reported taken from the house on Sawyer.

— annemarie mannion, chicagotribune.com, "La Grange home invasion suspect arrested in Iowa", 9 June 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 shot·gun

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

First Known Use of shotgun

1892

SHOTGUN Defined for English Language Learners

shotgun

play

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