take a shot at

Variant of shot

shot definition

shot (s̸hät)

noun

  1. the act of shooting; discharge of a missile, esp. from a gun
    1. the distance over which a missile travels
    2. range; reach; scope
  2. an attempt to hit with a missile
    1. any attempt or try
    2. a guess or conjecture
  3. a pointed, critical remark
    1. in various games, the flight or path of a ball, puck, etc. after it is shot toward a goal or other object
    2. a stroke, as in tennis or golf
    3. an attempt to score, as in basketball or hockey
    1. a solid projectile designed for discharge from a firearm or cannon, as distinguished from an explosive shell
    2. such projectiles collectively
    1. lead or steel in small pellets, of which a quantity is used for a single charge of a shotgun
    2. a single pellet of this kind
  4. the heavy metal ball used in the shot put
  5. a blast, or the amount of explosive used for a blast, as in mining
  6. a marksman a fair shot
    1. the act of taking a single photograph
    2. a single photograph
    3. a single, continuous image as taken on film, videotape, or by a live TV camera
  7. Etymology: cf. scot

    an amount due, esp. for drinks or entertainment
  8. a hypodermic injection, as of vaccine
  9. ☆ a drink of liquor; specif., jigger
  10. Informal something to bet on, considered from the standpoint of odds or chances of winning a horse that is a ten-to-one shot
  11. Naut. a 90-foot length of chain, esp. for an anchor

Etymology: ME < OE sceot < sceotan (akin to ON skot, Ger schuss): see shoot

transitive verb shotted shot′·ted, shotting shot′·ting

to load or weight with shot
shot Idioms

a shot in the arm

something that bolsters up, reinvigorates, encourages, etc., esp. in a difficult situation

call the shots

Informal
  1. to give orders
  2. to control what is done or what happens

have a shot at

or take a shot at
Informal to make a try at

like a shot

  1. quickly; rapidly
  2. suddenly

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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