shotgun house
noun
: a house in which all the rooms are in direct line with each other usually front to back
called also shotgun cottage, shotgun shack
compare railroad flatExamples of shotgun house in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Reporter Connor Giffin explains the working-class origins of the shotgun house.
—
Leo Bertucci,
Louisville Courier Journal,
23 Dec. 2025
It’s known for colorful shotgun houses, which are tightly clustered and raised against flooding.
—
David W. Brown,
New Yorker,
5 July 2025
Biggers was born in a shotgun house in North Carolina and became known for his vibrant, complex, and symbolic murals and paintings, which often depict the dwellings.
—
Lauren O'Neill Butler
july 2,
Literary Hub,
2 July 2025
Over the years, the shotgun houses, which were relatively cheap and easy to build, spread across the South.
—
Maggie Burch,
Southern Living,
19 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for shotgun house
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Leo Bertucci,
Louisville Courier Journal,
23 Dec. 2025
It’s known for colorful shotgun houses, which are tightly clustered and raised against flooding.
—
David W. Brown,
New Yorker,
5 July 2025
Biggers was born in a shotgun house in North Carolina and became known for his vibrant, complex, and symbolic murals and paintings, which often depict the dwellings.
—
Lauren O'Neill Butler
july 2,
Literary Hub,
2 July 2025
Over the years, the shotgun houses, which were relatively cheap and easy to build, spread across the South.
—
Maggie Burch,
Southern Living,
19 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for shotgun house
Cite this Entry
“Shotgun house.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shotgun%20house. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
