v.
(past and past part. shot)
- kill or wound (a person or animal) with a bullet or arrow.
▸cause (a gun) to fire.
▸hunt game with a gun.
▸
(shoot someone/thing down)
bring down an aircraft or person by shooting.
- move suddenly and rapidly.
▸
[as adj. shooting]
(of a pain) sudden and piercing.
▸direct (a glance, question, or remark) at someone.
▸
(shoot through)
Austral./NZ informal depart, especially hurriedly.
- (in football, basketball, etc.) kick, hit, or throw the ball or puck in an attempt to score a goal.
▸informal make (a specified score) for a round of golf.
▸N. Amer. informal play a game of (pool, dice, or golf).
- film or photograph (a scene, film, etc.).
- send out buds or shoots; germinate.
-
(shoot up)
informal inject oneself with a narcotic drug.
- plane (the edge of a board) accurately.
- (of a boat) sweep swiftly down or under (rapids, a waterfall, or a bridge).
▸informal drive past (a traffic light at red).
- move (a door bolt) to fasten or unfasten a door.
n.
- a young branch or sucker springing from the main stock of a tree or other plant.
- an occasion when a group of people hunt and shoot game for sport.
▸Brit. land used for shooting game.
- an occasion of taking photographs professionally or making a film or video:
a fashion shoot.
- variant spelling of chute1.
- a rapid in a stream.
exclam.
N. Amer. informal used as a euphemism for ‘shit’.
Phrase
- shoot the breeze
(or the bull)
N. Amer. informal have a casual conversation. - shoot one's cuffs
pull one's shirt cuffs out to project beyond the cuffs of one's jacket or coat. - shoot oneself in the foot
informal inadvertently make a situation worse for oneself. - shoot a line
Brit. informal describe something in an exaggerated, untruthful, or boastful way. - shoot one's mouth off
informal talk boastfully or indiscreetly. - the whole shooting match
informal everything.
Derivative
Etymology
OE scēotan, of Gmc origin; rel. to sheet1, shot1, and shut.