shoot
1to hit, wound, damage, kill, or destroy with a missile discharged from a weapon.
to execute or put to death with a bullet: to be shot at sunrise.
to send forth or discharge (a missile) from a weapon: to shoot a bullet.
to discharge (a weapon): to shoot a gun.
to send forth (words, ideas, etc.) rapidly: to shoot questions at someone.
to direct suddenly or swiftly: Shoot the spotlight on the doorway. He shot a smile at his wife.
to move suddenly; send swiftly along.
to go over (country) in hunting game.
to pass rapidly through, over, down, etc.: to shoot rapids.
to emit (a ray or rays, as of light) suddenly, briefly, or intermittently.
to variegate by threads, streaks, etc., of another color.
to cause to extend or project: He shot out his arm and grabbed the ball.
to discharge or empty, as down a chute: Do not shoot rubbish here!
Sports.
to throw, kick, or otherwise propel (a ball, puck, etc.), as at a goal or teammate.
to score (a goal, points, etc.) by propelling the ball, puck, etc.
Games. to propel (a marble) from the crook or first knuckle of the forefinger by flicking with the thumb.
(in dice games)
to throw (the dice or a specific number).
to wager or offer to bet (a sum of money): I'll shoot ten bucks.
Photography. to photograph or film.
to put forth (buds, branches, etc.), as a plant.
to slide (a bolt or the like) into or out of its fastening.
to pull (one's cuffs) abruptly toward one's hands.
Golf. to make a final score of (so many strokes): He shot a 73 on the first 18 holes of the tournament.
to take the altitude of (a heavenly body): to shoot the sun.
to detonate; cause to explode, as a charge of explosives.
Aeronautics. to practice (a maneuver) by repetition: to shoot landings.
Slang. to inject (an addictive drug) intravenously.
to send forth missiles from a bow, firearm, or the like.
to be discharged, as a firearm.
to hunt with a gun for sport: He fishes, but he doesn't shoot.
to move or pass suddenly or swiftly; spurt: The car shot ahead and was soon out of sight.
Nautical. to acquire momentum and coast into the wind, as a sailboat in a confined area.
to grow forth from the ground, as a stem.
to put forth buds or shoots, as a plant; germinate.
Photography. to photograph.
Movies. to film or begin to film a scene or movie.
to extend; jut: a cape shooting out into the sea.
Sports, Games.
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.
to propel a ball in a specific way: The center shoots left-handed.
to be felt by or flow through or permeate the body: Pain shot through his injured arm. Chills shot up and down her spine.
to carry by force of discharge or momentum: The missile left its pad and shot thousands of miles into space.
Informal. to begin, especially to begin to talk: I want to hear your complaint, so shoot!
the act of shooting with a bow, firearm, etc.
Chiefly British. a hunting trip or expedition.
a match or contest at shooting.
a growing or sprouting, as of a plant.
a new or young growth that shoots off from some portion of a plant.
the amount of such growth.
a young branch, stem, twig, or the like.
a sprout that is not three feet high.
a chute.
Rocketry. the launching of a missile.
Informal. a photographic assignment or session, as for a feature film or a television commercial: The actress is away on a shoot.
Rowing. the interval between strokes.
Mining.
a small tunnel branching off from a larger tunnel.
a narrow vein of ore.
shoot down,
to cause to fall by hitting with a shot: They shot down several ducks.
Informal. to disparage, reject, or expose as false or inadequate; debunk: to shoot down a popular theory.
shoot for / at to attempt to obtain or accomplish; strive toward: He is shooting for a higher production level.
shoot up,
to grow rapidly or suddenly.
Informal. to damage or harass by reckless shooting: cowboys shooting up the town.
to wound by shooting: He shot up the lion, but his guide killed it.
Slang. to inject an addictive drug intravenously.
Idioms about shoot
shoot from the hip, to act or speak without due consideration or deliberation.
shoot off one's mouth / face, Slang.
to talk indiscreetly, especially to reveal confidences, make thoughtless remarks, etc.
to exaggerate: He likes to shoot off his mouth about what a great guy he is.
shoot one's bolt. Informal. bolt1 (def. 29).
shoot one's wad. Informal. wad1 (def. 13).
shoot the breeze. Slang. breeze1 (def. 11).
shoot the bull. Slang. bull2 (def. 2).
shoot the works. Slang. work (def. 55).
Origin of shoot
1Other words for shoot
1 | blow away, bring down, cut down, drop, gun, hit, mow down, pick off, wound; plug, pop |
3 | blast, discharge, fire, loose |
5 | discharge, fire away |
6 | cast, fling, hurl, throw, vent |
17a | roll |
30 | spring, start, dart, dash, bolt, fly; bowl, bustle, careen, career, hasten, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, race, rush, scurry, speed; barrel, bomb, hotfoot, scoot, zip |
36 | project, protrude |
47 | branchlet, sprig, sprout, twig |
Words Nearby shoot
Other definitions for shoot (2 of 2)
(used to express irritation or astonishment.)
Origin of shoot
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use shoot in a sentence
We spoke with Egan about where the green shoots are and how publishers’ relationships with platforms are shifting.
‘We’re getting more used to the uncertainty’: BBC Global News chief on ad-funded news | Lucinda Southern | September 10, 2020 | DigidayToday, green shoots of community intelligence can be seen all around us.
The race for a COVID-19 vaccine shows the power of ‘community intelligence’ | matthewheimer | September 9, 2020 | FortuneIt’s so popular that couples carve out time in the itinerary to make a shoot happen, often with the help of drones.
Couples spend thousands on a wedding photographer for that perfect shot | Rachel King | September 6, 2020 | FortuneHe has also adapted to the growing demands of his clients, whether they want to be subject of their own styled shoot or simply geek out on photography.
Couples spend thousands on a wedding photographer for that perfect shot | Rachel King | September 6, 2020 | FortuneHis answers were so direct that the planned shoot was over in about half an hour, Ebersole says.
Just the hard-on before you shoot unarmed members of the public.
'Babylon' Review: The Dumb Lives of Trigger-Happy Cops | Melissa Leon | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTI mean, the reality of it was, I had to go out and get on a horse, and ride in, shoot the gun — how hard was that, right?
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile | Robert Ward | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTBut even when the jet will be able to shoot its gun, the F-35 barely carries enough ammunition to make the weapon useful.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019 | Dave Majumdar | December 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe brand logo turned out to feature a graceful archer on horseback, in a Tatar national costume, poised to shoot his arrow.
Rebranding The Land of Mongol Warriors & Ivan The Terrible | Anna Nemtsova | December 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAt the beginning of the video and before the call to kill police, you can hear what sounds like, “arms up, shoot back!”
I was right, so it seems, about getting ashore before the enemy could see to shoot out to sea.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian HamiltonThat was a considerable sensible commandment of yourn, always to shoot the foremost of the Mexicans when they attacked.
"But I don't see what you can shoot with it," said Davy, feeling that he was somehow getting the worst of the argument.
Davy and The Goblin | Charles E. CarrylThereafter he ran away from school twice, having been seized with a romantic and irresistible desire to see and shoot a lion!
Hunting the Lions | R.M. BallantyneThe sentinels seemed much alarmed, and drew up their carbines as if to shoot.
The Courier of the Ozarks | Byron A. Dunn
British Dictionary definitions for shoot
/ (ʃuːt) /
(tr) to hit, wound, damage, or kill with a missile discharged from a weapon
to discharge (a missile or missiles) from a weapon
to fire (a weapon) or (of a weapon) to be fired
to send out or be sent out as if from a weapon: he shot questions at her
(intr) to move very rapidly; dart
(tr) to slide or push into or out of a fastening: to shoot a bolt
to emit (a ray of light) or (of a ray of light) to be emitted
(tr) to go or pass quickly over or through: to shoot rapids
(intr) to hunt game with a gun for sport
(tr) to pass over (an area) in hunting game
to extend or cause to extend; project
(tr) to discharge down or as if down a chute
(intr) (of a plant) to produce (buds, branches, etc)
(intr) (of a seed) to germinate
to photograph or record (a sequence, subject, etc)
(tr; usually passive) to variegate or streak, as with colour
sport to hit or propel (the ball, etc) towards the goal
(tr) sport, mainly US and Canadian to score (points, strokes, etc): he shot 72 on the first round
(tr) to plane (a board) to produce a straight edge
(tr) mining to detonate
(tr) to measure the altitude of (a celestial body)
(often foll by up) slang to inject (someone, esp oneself) with (a drug, esp heroin)
shoot a line See line 1 (def. 58)
shoot from the hip to speak bluntly or impulsively without concern for the consequences
shoot one's bolt See bolt 1 (def. 13)
shoot oneself in the foot informal to damage one's own cause inadvertently
shoot one's mouth off slang
to talk indiscreetly
to boast or exaggerate
shoot the breeze See breeze 1 (def. 5)
the act of shooting
the action or motion of something that is shot
the first aerial part of a plant to develop from a germinating seed
any new growth of a plant, such as a bud, young branch, etc
mainly British a meeting or party organized for hunting game with guns
an area or series of coverts and woods where game can be hunted with guns
a steep descent in a stream; rapid
informal a photographic assignment
geology mining a narrow workable vein of ore
obsolete the reach of a shot
the whole shoot slang everything
US and Canadian an exclamation expressing disbelief, scepticism, disgust, disappointment, etc
Origin of shoot
1- See also shoot down, shoot out, shoot through, shoot up
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for shoot
[ shōōt ]
The part of a vascular plant that is above ground, including the stem and leaves. The tips of shoots contain the apical meristem.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with shoot
In addition to the idioms beginning with shoot
- shoot down
- shoot for
- shoot from the hip
- shoot off one's mouth
- shoot one's bolt
- shoot oneself in the foot
- shoot straight
- shoot the breeze
- shoot the works
- shoot up
also see:
- like shooting fish in a barrel
- sure as shooting
- whole ball of wax (shooting match)
Also see undershot.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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