/ ˈpɒtʃɒt; NAmE ˈpɑːtʃɑːt/ (also pot ) noun
( informal ) a shot that sb fires without aiming carefully :
Somebody took a potshot at him as he drove past.
( figurative )
The newspapers took constant potshots at (= criticized) the president.
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 19th cent.: originally a shot at an animal intended for the pot , i.e. purely for food, rather than for display (which would require skilled shooting according to hunting rules).