shot-gun

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A smoothbore gun: "shot-gun" refers to a type of firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, which shoots a number of small pellets (shot) or a single slug. It has a smooth barrel (not rifled) and is used primarily for hunting birds and small game, or for sport shooting.
   • A specific type of weapon: In common usage, "shot-gun" denotes a gun that fires a spread of projectiles, making it effective at close range.

2. Verb (informal):

   • To claim or reserve a seat: "shot-gun" is used as a verb meaning to claim the front passenger seat of a vehicle, typically by shouting "shotgun!" before others can.
   • To coerce or force: In a more figurative sense, "shot-gun" can mean to compel someone to do something, often under threat or pressure (e.g., "shot-gun marriage").

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • He carried a shot-gun for hunting ducks in the marsh. (A firearm used for shooting birds.)
  • The security guard held a shot-gun as a deterrent. (A weapon used for protection.)

• Verb:

  • I called "shot-gun!" before anyone else could take the front seat. (I claimed the front passenger seat.)
  • They were forced into a shot-gun wedding after the scandal. (A marriage entered into under pressure or compulsion.)

Advanced Usage

• "shot-gun approach": a method that is broad, indiscriminate, or tries many possibilities at once, like firing a shot-gun's spread of pellets.

  • The company used a shot-gun approach to marketing, targeting everyone with the same ad. (A broad, unfocused strategy.)

• "riding shot-gun": originally meaning to sit beside the driver of a vehicle as a guard (in stagecoach days), now used informally for the front passenger seat.

  • She was riding shot-gun on the road trip. (She sat in the front passenger seat.)

Variants and Related Words

• Shotgun (adj): relating to or resembling a shot-gun; often used in compounds like "shotgun shell" (the cartridge for a shot-gun).

  • He loaded a shotgun shell into the chamber. (A cartridge designed for a shot-gun.)

• Shotgun (n): an alternative spelling of "shot-gun" (the hyphen is often omitted in modern usage).

  • The hunter cleaned his shotgun after the hunt. (Same as shot-gun, but without a hyphen.)

Synonyms

• Blunderbuss: an old type of gun with a wide, flared muzzle, similar in purpose to a shot-gun.
• Scattergun: another term for a shot-gun, emphasizing its spread of shot.

Phrasal Verbs

• Shotgun down: to shoot someone or something with a shot-gun.

  • The farmer shotgunned down the intruder. (He used a shot-gun to shoot the intruder.)

• Shotgun up: to load or prepare a shot-gun for firing.

  • He shotgunned up before the competition. (He loaded the shot-gun.)

Related Idioms

• "to fire a shot-gun at a mosquito": to use excessive force or resources for a small problem.

  • Using a bulldozer to remove a weed is like firing a shot-gun at a mosquito. (Overkill.)

• "shot-gun wedding": a marriage that is forced or arranged hastily, often because of an unplanned pregnancy.

  • Their relationship ended in a shot-gun wedding after the news. (A forced marriage.)