SHOT


Meaning of SHOT in English

I. shot 1 S2 W2 /ʃɒt $ ʃɑːt/ BrE AmE noun

[ Language: Old English ; Origin: scot ]

1 . GUN [countable]

a) an act of firing a gun:

He pulled out his rifle and fired three shots.

She was killed by a single shot to the head.

b) the sound of a gun being fired:

Where were you when you heard the shot?

c) a good/bad etc shot someone who is good, bad etc at shooting:

Sergeant Cooper is an excellent shot.

2 . BULLETS [uncountable]

a) small metal balls that are shot, many at a time, from a ↑ shotgun

b) old use large metal balls that are shot from a ↑ cannon

3 . ATTEMPT TO SCORE [countable] an attempt in sport to throw, kick, or hit the ball towards the place where you can get a point:

Shaw took a shot at the goal from the halfway line, but missed.

Good shot!

4 . PHOTOGRAPH [countable] a photograph SYN picture

shot of

a close-up shot of a demonstrator being beaten by a policeman

I managed to get some good shots of the carnival.

We hired a photographer to take some publicity shots.

action shots of football players (=ones taken of people while they are moving)

⇨ ↑ mugshot

5 . FILM/TV [countable] the view of something in a film or television programme that is produced by having the camera in a particular position:

In the opening shot, we see Travolta’s feet walking down the sidewalk.

6 . ATTEMPT [countable] informal an attempt to do something or achieve something, especially something difficult

shot at (doing) something

This is her first shot at directing a play.

If Lewis won his next fight, he would be guaranteed a shot at the title (=chance to win the title) .

I decided to have a shot at decorating the house myself.

I didn’t think I had much chance of winning the race, but I thought I’d give it a shot (=try to do it) .

The network finally gave Keaton a shot at presenting his own show.

7 . give something your best shot to make as much effort as you can to achieve something difficult:

This case is going to be tough, but I promise I’ll give it my best shot.

Lydia didn’t get the job, but at least she gave it her best shot.

8 . be a long shot

a) used to say that a plan is worth trying, even though you think it is unlikely to succeed:

It’s a long shot, but someone might recognise her from the photo and be able to tell us where she lives.

b) American English if someone is a long shot, they are not likely to be chosen for a job or to win an election, competition etc:

Turner is a long shot to win next month’s mayoral election.

9 . a 10 to 1 shot/50 to 1 shot etc a horse, dog etc in a race, whose chances of winning are expressed as numbers

10 . a shot in the dark an attempt to guess something without having any facts or definite ideas:

My answer to the last question was a complete shot in the dark.

11 . CRITICAL REMARK [countable] a remark that is intended to criticize or hurt someone:

I’m not going to sit here listening to you two take shots at each other all night.

She couldn’t resist a parting shot (=one that you make just before you leave) – ‘And you were a lousy lover!’

That was a cheap shot (=one that is unfair and unreasonable) !

12 . like a shot if you do something like a shot, you do it very quickly and eagerly:

If he asked me to go to Africa with him, I’d go like a shot!

13 . a shot across the bows/a warning shot (across the bows) something you say or do to warn someone that you oppose what they are doing and will try to make them stop it – used especially in news reports:

The president’s own supporters are firing a warning shot across his bows.

14 . big shot an important or powerful person, especially in business:

a big shot in the record business

15 . DRINK [countable] a small amount of a strong alcoholic drink

shot of

a shot of tequila

a shot glass (=a small glass for strong alcoholic drinks)

16 . DRUG [countable] especially American English an ↑ injection of a drug (=when it is put into the body with a needle) SYN jab British English :

Have you had your typhoid and cholera shots?

17 . a shot in the arm something that makes you more confident or more successful:

The new factory will give the local economy a much-needed shot in the arm.

18 . HEAVY BALL [countable] a heavy metal ball that competitors try to throw as far as possible in the sport of ↑ shot put

⇨ call the shots at ↑ call 1 (9), ⇨ by a long chalk/shot at ↑ long 1 (21), ⇨ long shot at ↑ long 1 (18), ⇨ ↑ buckshot , ↑ gunshot , ↑ snapshot , ↑ pot shot

• • •

COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs

▪ fire a shot

The passenger in the car fired three shots.

▪ take a shot at somebody (=fire a shot trying to hit someone)

Someone took a shot at her, but missed.

▪ a shot hits somebody/something

The shot hit the burglar in the chest and killed him instantly.

▪ a shot misses somebody/something (=doesn’t hit them)

The first shot missed my head by inches.

▪ a shot rings out (=is heard)

Suddenly, two shots rang out.

■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + shot

▪ a pistol/rifle shot

A pistol shot rang out in the darkness.

▪ a single shot (=just one shot)

He died from a single shot to his heart.

▪ the fatal shot (=the shot that killed someone)

It wasn’t clear who had fired the fatal shot.

▪ a warning shot (=one fired as a warning to someone)

Police fired warning shots into the air.

▪ a good shot (=one that hits what you aim at)

It was difficult to get a good shot in the dense forest.

■ phrases

▪ a volley of shots (=a number of shots fired quickly)

He fired off a volley of shots from his rifle.

• • •

THESAURUS

▪ photograph a picture taken using a camera:

Visitors are not allowed to take photographs inside the museum.

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our wedding photographs

▪ photo informal a photograph:

a way of displaying your digital photos

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Do you want me to take your photo?

▪ picture a photograph of someone or something:

I saw her picture in the paper the other day.

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This is a really good picture of Sarah.

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Can I take your picture?

▪ snap British English informal , snapshot especially American English a photograph that you take quickly and without thinking carefully about how it will look, for example when you are on holiday:

Patrick showed me his holiday snaps.

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She showed me a snapshot of her three children.

▪ shot informal a photograph – used especially by people who often take photographs:

I got some great shots of Mount Fuji.

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It's a lovely shot.

▪ print a photograph that has been printed on photographic paper:

a set of 4 by 6 inch prints

II. shot 2 BrE AmE adjective [not before noun]

1 . spoken in bad condition because of being used too much or treated badly:

My back tires are shot.

My nerves were shot to pieces after my driving test.

2 . be/get/want shot of somebody/something British English spoken to get rid or want to get rid of someone or something:

I know the director wants shot of me.

3 . be shot through with something

a) if a piece of cloth is shot through with a colour, it has very small threads of that colour woven into it:

a fine silk shot through with gold threads

b) to have a lot of a particular quality or feeling:

a charming collection of stories, shot through with a gentle humour

III. shot 3 BrE AmE

the past tense and past participle of ↑ shoot

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.