shot

[[t]ʃɒ̱t[/t]]

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shots

1) Shot is the past tense and past participle of shoot.

2) N-COUNT A shot is an act of firing a gun.

He had murdered Perceval at point blank range with a single shot...

A man fired a volley of shots at them.

3) N-COUNT: adj N Someone who is a good shot can shoot well. Someone who is a bad shot cannot shoot well.

He was not a particularly good shot because of his eyesight.

4) N-COUNT In sports such as football, soccer, golf, or tennis, a shot is an act of kicking, hitting, or throwing the ball, especially in an attempt to score a point.

He had only one shot at goal.

5) N-COUNT A shot is a photograph or a particular sequence of pictures in a film.

I decided to try for a more natural shot of a fox peering from the bushes...

He received praise for the atmospheric monochrome shots in David Lynch's The Elephant Man.

6) N-COUNT: usu sing, usu N at n If you have a shot at something, you attempt to do it. [INFORMAL]

The heavyweight champion will be given a shot at Holyfield's world title.

7) N-COUNT: usu N of n A shot of a drug is an injection of it.

He administered a shot of Nembutal.

8) N-COUNT A shot of a strong alcoholic drink is a small glass of it. [AM]

...a shot of vodka.

...spirits and liqueurs, served in a shot glass.

9) PHRASE: V inflects If you give something your best shot, you do it as well as you possibly can. [INFORMAL]

I don't expect to win. But I am going to give it my best shot.

10) PHRASE: Ns inflect, usu v-link PHR If you describe someone's actions as a shot across the bows of another person, you mean that it is a warning to that person to stop or change what they are doing.

As a warning shot across the bows of rivals, it is already setting aggressive prices.

11) PHRASE: V inflects The person who calls the shots is in a position to tell others what to do.

The directors call the shots and nothing happens without their say-so.

12) PHRASE: PHR after v If you do something like a shot, you do it without any delay or hesitation. [INFORMAL]

I heard the key turn in the front door and I was out of bed like a shot...

If he thought it his duty to arrest me, he'd do it like a shot.

13) PHRASE: v-link PHR If you describe something as a long shot, you mean that it is unlikely to succeed, but is worth trying.

The deal was a long shot, but Bagley had little to lose...

I thought about meeting a handsome stranger but it seemed a bit of a long shot.

14) PHRASE (emphasis) People sometimes use the expression by a long shot to emphasize the opinion they are giving.

The missile-reduction treaty makes sweeping cuts, but the arms race isn't over by a long shot.

15) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n If something is shot through with an element or feature, it contains a lot of that element or feature.

His work was deeply refreshing, and all of it shot through with humour...

This is an argument shot through with inconsistency.

16) a shot in the dark → see dark