SHOT

n. 1 discharge, shooting The town was captured without a shot being fired 2 bullet, ball, slug, cannon-ball, buckshot, pellet, projectile, missile A dumdum bullet is a piece of soft shot with a hollowed-out nose 3 attempt, try, opportunity, chance, go, essay, endeavour, guess, conjecture, Colloq stab, crack, whack You are allowed three shots at the answer 4 marksman, markswoman, sharpshooter, sniper, rifleman Geraghty is an excellent shot and favourite for an Olympic gold 5 photograph, snapshot, picture, Colloq snap, photo Miller took some excellent action shots using stroboscopic lighting 6 injection, inoculation, vaccination The doctor gave me a flu shot this morning 7 drink, jigger, tot, dram, nip, spot, swallow, Colloq finger, swig, slug, snort Will you have a shot of whisky with me, Muldoon? 8 (space) launch or launching The moon shot scheduled for today has been postponed owing to technical difficulties 9 call the shots. run or direct or manage or administer or control things or affairs or matters, run the show, rule the roost, be in command or the driver's seat Ravelli calls the shots around here, and don't you forget it 10 like a shot. quickly, swiftly, rapidly, speedily, hurriedly, hastily, at once, like a flash, immediately, instantly, instantaneously, Colloq in two shakes of a lamb's tail, like greased lightning, before you can say 'Jack Robinson' All I had to do was mention ice-cream, and the children were in here like a shot 11 (not) by a long shot. no way, under no circumstances, by no means, on no account, by no chance, never You ask if he can get elected and my response is, 'Not by a long shot' 12 shot in the arm. boost, stimulus, encouragement, incentive, inducement, provocation, motivation The team needs a shot in the arm to improve morale