shot

Adjective

shot (comparative more shot, superlative most shot)

1. Tired, weary.
   • I have to go to bed now; I’m shot.

   Synonyms:

   exhausted, fried, bleareyed, bleary, bleary-eyed, bone-tired, bushed, tired out, spent, wrecked

2. Discharged, cleared, or rid of something.
   • Tell me true, are you not glad to be fairly shot of him?1819, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter V, in Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume III (The Bride of Lammermoor), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for...

   Synonyms:

   free

3. (colloquial) Worn out or broken.
   • The rear axle will have to be replaced. It’s shot.
   • ... but he finds it hard to resist helping the boss's sister, who also works there and whose body "is more shot than mine."2004, Garret Keizer, Help: The Original Human Dilemma, page 50

   Synonyms:

   dilapidated, wrecked, clapped out, damaged, defective, deteriorated, effete, faulty, munted, outworn

4. (especially silk) Woven from warp and weft strands of different colours, resulting in an iridescent appearance.
   • The cloak was shot through with silver threads.

Noun

shot (countable and uncountable, plural shots)

1. The result of launching a projectile or bullet.
   • The shot was wide of the mark.
2. The act of launching a ball or similar object toward a goal.
   • They took the lead on a last-minute shot.
   • England's attacking impetus was limited to one shot from Lampard that was comfortably collected by keeper Iker Casillas, but for all Spain's domination of the ball his England counterpart Joe Hart was unemployed.2011 November 12, “International friendly: England 1-0 Spain”, in BBC Sport
3. (countable) The heavy iron ball used for the shot put.
   • The shot flew twenty metres, and nearly landed on the judge's foot.
4. (uncountable) The athletics event of shot put.
   • For two years Templeton has given individual attention to Krenz. The young man has reciprocated by giving at least two hours each day to practice in the shot and discus.1929 July 4, Harry L. Borba, “The Superman of Track”, in The Vernon Daily Record, volume 4, number 209, Vernon, Texas, page 6
5. (uncountable) Small metal balls, or other hard objects of various shapes, used as ammunition, especially in shotgun shells or artillery shells.
   • Steel shot, unlike lead shot, avoids contaminating the land with spent lead.
   • The bank robbers' handloaded shotgun shells used rock salt as the shot.
6. (historical, uncountable) Metal or stone balls (or similar), not necessarily small, used as ammunition.
   • The shot for this ship's deck guns, in that day, consisted only of solid iron balls such as ten-pounders.
   • Accurſt be he that firſt inuented war,
     They knew not, ah, they knew not ſimple men,
     How thoſe were hit by pelting Cannon ſhot,
     Stand ſtaggering like a quiuering Aſpen leafe,
     Fearing the force of Boreas boiſtrous blaſts.c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...
7. Someone who shoots (a gun, longbow, etc.); a person reckoned as to their aim.
   • He'd make a bad soldier, since he's a lousy shot.
   • Sir William was a Shot and could not support the idea of losing such a Day, even for such a Cause.1788, Jane Austen, ‘Sir William Mountague’, Juvenilia
8. (figuratively) An opportunity or attempt.
   • I'd like just one more shot at winning this game.
   • You won't see me buying a round of Jägerbombs for girls half my age because I know when I have no shot.2009, David P. Murphy, Phil Torcivia, Rebecca Shockley, Such a Nice Guy
9. A remark or comment, especially one which is critical or insulting.
   • Schwarzenegger also is taking nasty shots from his own party, as GOP conservatives bash some of his appointments as Kennedyesque and traitorous to party values.2003 November 16, Carla Marinucci, “On inauguration eve, 'Aaaarnold' stands tall”, in San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved 18 Apr 2009
10. (US, slang) A punch or other physical blow.
11. A measure of alcohol, usually spirits, as taken either from a shot-glass or directly from the bottle, equivalent to about 44 milliliters or 1.5 ounces. ("pony shot"= 30 milliliters; 1 fluid ounce)
    • I'd like a shot of whisky in my coffee.
    • You can kiss a hundred boys in bars
      Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling2024 April 5, Chappell Roan, Justin Tranter, Dan Nigro, “Good Luck, Babe!”performed by Chappell Roan
12. A single serving of espresso.

Verb

shot (third-person singular simple present shots, present participle shotting, simple past and past participle shotted)

1. (transitive) To load (a gun) with shot.
   • His order to me was, to see the top Chains put upon the Cables, and the Guns shotted.1681, Robert Knox, An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon
2. (Multicultural-London-English, transitive) To sell illegal drugs; to deal.
   • The mandem all used to go round there and get head off her, the sister blowing the man line by line while her brother shotted downstairs in the stairwell.2011, “Chyna”, in How I Escaped a Girl Gang: Rolling in a London Girl Gang
   • [Verse 2:Kano]:If you've been shotting in the manor from way back when and you ain't on a kilo ting, I don't wanna hear about cunch and food and tings, man don't do those tings.2016 March 4, “3 Wheel-Ups” (track 4), in Made in the Manor, performed by Kano (British musician),Giggs (rapper),Wiley (musician)
3. (obsolete, transitive) To feed small shot to (a horse), as a fraudulent means of disguising broken-windedness.

Interjection

1. (New Zealand, colloquial) An expression of gratitude, similar to thank you.