shoot
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to hit, wound, damage, kill, or destroy with a missile discharged from a weapon.
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to execute or put to death with a bullet.
to be shot at sunrise.
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to send forth or discharge (a missile) from a weapon.
to shoot a bullet.
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to discharge (a weapon).
to shoot a gun.
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to send forth (words, ideas, etc.) rapidly.
to shoot questions at someone.
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The volcano shot lava high into the air.
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to direct suddenly or swiftly.
Shoot the spotlight on the doorway. He shot a smile at his wife.
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to move suddenly; send swiftly along.
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to go over (country) in hunting game.
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to pass rapidly through, over, down, etc..
to shoot rapids.
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to emit (a ray or rays, as of light) suddenly, briefly, or intermittently.
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to variegate by threads, streaks, etc., of another color.
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to cause to extend or project.
He shot out his arm and grabbed the ball.
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to discharge or empty, as down a chute.
Do not shoot rubbish here!
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Sports.
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to throw, kick, or otherwise propel (a ball, puck, etc.), as at a goal or teammate.
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to score (a goal, points, etc.) by propelling the ball, puck, etc.
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Games. to propel (a marble) from the crook or first knuckle of the forefinger by flicking with the thumb.
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(in dice games)
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to throw (the dice or a specific number).
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to wager or offer to bet (a sum of money).
I'll shoot ten bucks.
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Photography. to photograph or film.
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to put forth (buds, branches, etc.), as a plant.
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to slide (a bolt or the like) into or out of its fastening.
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to pull (one's cuffs) abruptly toward one's hands.
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Golf. to make a final score of (so many strokes).
He shot a 73 on the first 18 holes of the tournament.
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to take the altitude of (a heavenly body).
to shoot the sun.
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to detonate; cause to explode, as a charge of explosives.
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Aeronautics. to practice (a maneuver) by repetition.
to shoot landings.
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Slang. to inject (an addictive drug) intravenously.
verb (used without object)
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to send forth missiles from a bow, firearm, or the like.
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to be discharged, as a firearm.
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to hunt with a gun for sport.
He fishes, but he doesn't shoot.
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to move or pass suddenly or swiftly; spurt.
The car shot ahead and was soon out of sight.
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Nautical. to acquire momentum and coast into the wind, as a sailboat in a confined area.
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to grow forth from the ground, as a stem.
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to put forth buds or shoots, as a plant; germinate.
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Photography. to photograph.
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Movies. to film or begin to film a scene or movie.
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to extend; jut.
a cape shooting out into the sea.
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Sports, Games.
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to propel a ball, puck, etc., at a goal, basket, pocket, etc., or in a specific direction.
He shot for the green with a five iron.
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to propel a ball in a specific way.
The center shoots left-handed.
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to be felt by or flow through or permeate the body.
Pain shot through his injured arm. Chills shot up and down her spine.
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to carry by force of discharge or momentum.
The missile left its pad and shot thousands of miles into space.
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Informal. to begin, especially to begin to talk.
I want to hear your complaint, so shoot!
noun
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the act of shooting with a bow, firearm, etc.
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Chiefly British. a hunting trip or expedition.
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a match or contest at shooting.
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a growing or sprouting, as of a plant.
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a new or young growth that shoots off from some portion of a plant.
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the amount of such growth.
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a young branch, stem, twig, or the like.
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a sprout that is not three feet high.
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a chute.
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Rocketry. the launching of a missile.
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Informal. a photographic assignment or session, as for a feature film or a television commercial.
The actress is away on a shoot.
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Rowing. the interval between strokes.
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Mining.
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a small tunnel branching off from a larger tunnel.
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a narrow vein of ore.
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verb phrase
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shoot up
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to grow rapidly or suddenly.
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Informal. to damage or harass by reckless shooting.
cowboys shooting up the town.
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to wound by shooting.
He shot up the lion, but his guide killed it.
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Slang. to inject an addictive drug intravenously.
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shoot for / at to attempt to obtain or accomplish; strive toward.
He is shooting for a higher production level.
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shoot down
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to cause to fall by hitting with a shot.
They shot down several ducks.
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Informal. to disparage, reject, or expose as false or inadequate; debunk.
to shoot down a popular theory.
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idioms
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shoot the bull. bull.
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shoot one's bolt. bolt.
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shoot off one's mouth / face,
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to talk indiscreetly, especially to reveal confidences, make thoughtless remarks, etc.
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to exaggerate.
He likes to shoot off his mouth about what a great guy he is.
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shoot the breeze. breeze.
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shoot one's wad. wad.
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shoot from the hip, to act or speak without due consideration or deliberation.
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shoot the works. work.
interjection
verb
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(tr) to hit, wound, damage, or kill with a missile discharged from a weapon
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to discharge (a missile or missiles) from a weapon
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to fire (a weapon) or (of a weapon) to be fired
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to send out or be sent out as if from a weapon
he shot questions at her
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(intr) to move very rapidly; dart
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(tr) to slide or push into or out of a fastening
to shoot a bolt
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to emit (a ray of light) or (of a ray of light) to be emitted
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(tr) to go or pass quickly over or through
to shoot rapids
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(intr) to hunt game with a gun for sport
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(tr) to pass over (an area) in hunting game
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to extend or cause to extend; project
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(tr) to discharge down or as if down a chute
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(intr) (of a plant) to produce (buds, branches, etc)
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(intr) (of a seed) to germinate
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to photograph or record (a sequence, subject, etc)
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(tr; usually passive) to variegate or streak, as with colour
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sport to hit or propel (the ball, etc) towards the goal
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(tr) sport to score (points, strokes, etc)
he shot 72 on the first round
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(tr) to plane (a board) to produce a straight edge
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(tr) mining to detonate
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(tr) to measure the altitude of (a celestial body)
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slang (often foll by up) to inject (someone, esp oneself) with (a drug, esp heroin)
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See line 1
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to speak bluntly or impulsively without concern for the consequences
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See bolt 1
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informal to damage one's own cause inadvertently
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slang
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to talk indiscreetly
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to boast or exaggerate
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See breeze 1
noun
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the act of shooting
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the action or motion of something that is shot
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the first aerial part of a plant to develop from a germinating seed
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any new growth of a plant, such as a bud, young branch, etc
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a meeting or party organized for hunting game with guns
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an area or series of coverts and woods where game can be hunted with guns
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a steep descent in a stream; rapid
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informal a photographic assignment
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geology mining a narrow workable vein of ore
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obsolete the reach of a shot
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slang everything
interjection
Etymology
Origin of shoot1
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb sheten, sheeten, shoten, Old English scēotan; cognate with Old Frisian skiata, Dutch schieten, Old High German skiozan, German schiessen, Old Norse skjōta; akin to shot 1
Origin of shoot2
An Americanism first recorded in 1890–95; alteration of shit, conformed to shoot 1
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
