shotgun
noun
shot·gun
| \ ˈshät-ˌgən
\
\
Definition of shotgun
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a usually smoothbore shoulder weapon capable of 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
adjectiveDefinition of shotgun (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: of, relating to, or using a shotgun
2
: involving coercion
3
: covering a wide field with hit-or-miss effectiveness
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Other Words from shotgun
Noun
shotgun
transitive verb
shotgunner
\ ˈshät-ˌgə-nər
\
noun
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noun
Examples of shotgun in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Police searched her home May 25, 2018, and found several shotguns, pistols and rifles as well as a small amount of cocaine and 21.49 grams of fentanyl, the plea agreement reads. — Phil Davis, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore woman sentenced to 7½ years in prison for selling fentanyl and cocaine with son," 11 Sep. 2019 Pistols, shotguns, and AR-type weaponry also earn references. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Recent Valve VR update contains hidden Half-Life demo code," 4 Sep. 2019 After getting a search warrant, officers found a revolver, shotgun and semi-automatic rifle, as well as numerous rounds of ammunition in Lovera’s house, police said. — Jennifer Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Niles police say man charged with child endangerment, reckless conduct," 23 July 2019 Adame is a far call from the vigilante leaders of past years, townsfolk who armed themselves with shotguns and single-shot rifles to defend their towns from drug cartels. — Washington Post, "Toxic mix of gangs, vigilantes fuels rising Mexican violence," 22 June 2019 The shooter, a junior at the school, was armed with his father's shotgun and .38-caliber revolver. — Dallas News, "NRA celebrates 'highly successful' year in Texas as new gun bills signed into law," 17 June 2019 On May 18th a student at Santa Fe High School in Texas killed ten of his peers and wounded 13 with a shotgun and a revolver. — The Economist, "Can school design help prevent school shootings?," 28 June 2018 Last week, a 17-year-old student brought a shotgun and a revolver to his high school in Santa Fe, Texas, and murdered 10 of his classmates and teachers. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "National Die-In Day: teens renew gun control push after Santa Fe shooting," 24 May 2018 The suspect had a shotgun and a .38-caliber revolver, Abbott said. — CBS News, "Texas gov.: 10 dead in high school shooting - live updates," 18 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
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 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 2017These 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.
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More Definitions for shotgun
shotgun
noun
English Language Learners Definition of shotgun
: 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
See the full definition for shotgun in the English Language Learners Dictionary
shotgun
noun
shot·gun
| \ ˈshät-ˌgən
\
\
Kids Definition of shotgun
: a gun with a long barrel used to fire shot at short range
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