shotgun
shotgun — noun
1. a shoulder firearm designed to discharge many small metal pellets (called shot)
a shoulder firearm designed to discharge many small metal pellets (called shot) with each trigger pull, typically used for hunting birds and small animals at close to medium range.
Roya loaded her shotgun and walked toward the hunting blind before sunrise.
Christopher inherited a double-barreled shotgun from his grandfather.
collocation: double-barreled shotgun / pump-action shotgun
The sharp sound of a shotgun blast echoed across the hills.
The shop sells both rifles for long-range shooting and shotguns for bird hunting.
- rifle
A rifle fires a single bullet with precision over long distances, unlike a shotgun's spread of pellets.
文法句型
shotgun + noun (shotgun shell, shotgun blast)
a + adjective + shotgun
常見錯誤
2. the front passenger position beside the person who drives a car or truck; also t
the front passenger position beside the person who drives a car or truck; also the name of that seat in the informal game of claiming it first.
Nikhil ran to the car and called shotgun before anyone else could.
idiom: call shotgun — claim the front passenger seat
Sari always rides shotgun when her older brother drives them to school.
Jin climbed into the shotgun seat and fastened his seat belt right away.
The dog jumped into the front of the truck and claimed the shotgun spot.
Jessica asked her dad if she could ride shotgun on the way to the beach.
- front passenger seat
The formal, non-idiomatic term for the same position.
- back seat
The seats behind the front row, which are not 'shotgun' even if the car has only two rows.
文法句型
call shotgun
ride shotgun
the shotgun seat
用法筆記
Almost always used in these fixed phrases. 'Ride shotgun' historically referred to a guard carrying a shotgun sitting next to the driver of a stagecoach.
常見錯誤
3. an offensive formation in American football where the quarterback stands several
an offensive formation in American football where the quarterback stands several yards behind the center to receive the snap, giving more time to pass, while other backs spread out as potential receivers.
The quarterback took the snap from the shotgun and threw a quick pass downfield.
Andrei prefers the shotgun formation because it gives him more time to read the defense.
collocation: shotgun formation
The team ran most of its passing plays out of the shotgun on Saturday afternoon.
Coaches use the shotgun on third down when the offense needs many yards quickly.
- spread formation
A related formation that also spreads receivers wide but differs in the QB's exact positioning.
- under center
The traditional formation where the QB stands directly behind the center to receive the snap.
文法句型
shotgun formation
in the shotgun
shotgun offense
用法筆記
This sense is specific to American football and rare in British English. The formation contrasts with 'under center,' where the QB stands directly behind the center.
常見錯誤
shotgun — adjective
1. relating to or designed for use with a shotgun firearm.
relating to or designed for use with a shotgun firearm.
The police found a spent shotgun shell on the floor of the warehouse.
collocation: shotgun shell
Jessica keeps her shotgun license pinned above the workbench in the garage.
The doctor removed several shotgun pellets from the patient's shoulder.
A shotgun blast shattered the window of the empty farmhouse.
文法句型
shotgun + noun (shotgun shell, shotgun license, shotgun wound)
2. forced or hurried because of pressure or necessity, especially when one party is
forced or hurried because of pressure or necessity, especially when one party is unwilling or unprepared.
The couple had a shotgun wedding after discovering they were expecting a baby.
collocation: shotgun wedding
Nikhil described the merger as a shotgun marriage that satisfied neither company.
Critics called the hastily arranged partnership a shotgun deal driven by financial panic.
Roya regretted the shotgun agreement she had signed under pressure from her boss.
文法句型
shotgun + noun (shotgun wedding, shotgun marriage, shotgun deal)
用法筆記
This sense appears almost exclusively in fixed phrases like 'shotgun wedding' or 'shotgun marriage.' It carries a negative tone of being rushed or coerced.
常見錯誤
3. covering a wide range in a broad but unsystematic way, hoping to hit something u
covering a wide range in a broad but unsystematic way, hoping to hit something useful without careful targeting.
The company took a shotgun approach to hiring and interviewed every applicant who applied.
collocation: shotgun approach
Sari criticized the shotgun method of the survey, which lacked a focused research question.
collocation: shotgun method
A shotgun marketing campaign tries to reach everyone instead of a specific target group.
James prefers a targeted sales strategy over a shotgun strategy that wastes resources.
- scattershot
Nearly identical in meaning and tone; slightly less common in formal writing.
- broad-brush
Similar idea of applying broadly but can be neutral or positive in some contexts.
文法句型
shotgun + noun (shotgun approach, shotgun method, shotgun strategy)
用法筆記
Almost always carries a mildly critical tone, suggesting the broad approach is wasteful or inefficient compared to a focused alternative. Common in business, marketing, and research contexts.
shotgun — verb
1. to consume a canned drink very rapidly by piercing the side of the can, sealing
to consume a canned drink very rapidly by piercing the side of the can, sealing your lips around the puncture, and opening the top tab so the liquid flows out under pressure.
Nellie shotgunned a can of soda at the party to impress her new friends.
Folake showed the exchange students how to shotgun a drink without spilling it.
informal verb: to shotgun a drink
James challenged his roommate to a shotgun contest during the barbecue.
Heloísa watched in disbelief as her cousin shotgunned three beers in five minutes.
The group gathered on the porch to shotgun their drinks before heading inside.
- sip
To drink slowly in small amounts, the opposite of rapid consumption.
文法句型
shotgun + noun phrase (shotgun a beer, shotgun a soda)
用法筆記
This verb is very informal and associated with college parties and drinking games. It describes a specific technique, not just fast drinking in general. The object is always a canned beverage.