to hit, wound, damage, kill, or destroy with a missile discharged from a weapon.
to execute or put to death with a bullet: to be shot at sunrise.
to send forth or discharge (a missile) from a weapon: to shoot a bullet.
to discharge (a weapon): to shoot a gun.
to send forth (words, ideas, etc.) rapidly: to shoot questions at someone.
to fling; propel: The volcano shot lava high into the air.
to direct suddenly or swiftly: Shoot the spotlight on the doorway. He shot a smile at his wife.
to move suddenly; send swiftly along.
to go over (country) in hunting game.
to pass rapidly through, over, down, etc.: to shoot rapids.
to emit (a ray or rays, as of light) suddenly, briefly, or intermittently.
to variegate by threads, streaks, etc., of another color.
to cause to extend or project: He shot out his arm and grabbed the ball.
to discharge or empty, as down a chute: Do not shoot rubbish here!
Sports.
to throw, kick, or otherwise propel (a ball, puck, etc.), as at a goal or teammate.
to score (a goal, points, etc.) by propelling the ball, puck, etc.
Games. to propel (a marble) from the crook or first knuckle of the forefinger by flicking with the thumb.
(in dice games)
to throw (the dice or a specific number).
to wager or offer to bet (a sum of money): I'll shoot ten bucks.
Photography. to photograph or film.
to put forth (buds, branches, etc.), as a plant.
to slide (a bolt or the like) into or out of its fastening.
to pull (one's cuffs) abruptly toward one's hands.
Golf. to make a final score of (so many strokes): He shot a 73 on the first 18 holes of the tournament.
to take the altitude of (a heavenly body): to shoot the sun.
to detonate; cause to explode, as a charge of explosives.
Aeronautics. to practice (a maneuver) by repetition: to shoot landings.
Slang. to inject (an addictive drug) intravenously.
verb (used without object),shot,shoot·ing.
to send forth missiles from a bow, firearm, or the like.
to be discharged, as a firearm.
to hunt with a gun for sport: He fishes, but he doesn't shoot.
to move or pass suddenly or swiftly; spurt: The car shot ahead and was soon out of sight.
Nautical. to acquire momentum and coast into the wind, as a sailboat in a confined area.
to grow forth from the ground, as a stem.
to put forth buds or shoots, as a plant; germinate.
Photography. to photograph.
Movies. to film or begin to film a scene or movie.
to extend; jut: a cape shooting out into the sea.
Sports, Games.
to propel a ball, puck, etc., at a goal, basket, pocket, etc., or in a specific direction: He shot for the green with a five iron.
to propel a ball in a specific way: The center shoots left-handed.
to be felt by or flow through or permeate the body: Pain shot through his injured arm. Chills shot up and down her spine.
to carry by force of discharge or momentum: The missile left its pad and shot thousands of miles into space.
Informal. to begin, especially to begin to talk: I want to hear your complaint, so shoot!
noun
the act of shooting with a bow, firearm, etc.
Chiefly British. a hunting trip or expedition.
a match or contest at shooting.
a growing or sprouting, as of a plant.
a new or young growth that shoots off from some portion of a plant.
the amount of such growth.
a young branch, stem, twig, or the like.
a sprout that is not three feet high.
a chute.
Rocketry. the launching of a missile.
Informal. a photographic assignment or session, as for a feature film or a television commercial: The actress is away on a shoot.
Rowing. the interval between strokes.
Mining.
a small tunnel branching off from a larger tunnel.
a narrow vein of ore.
Verb Phrases
shoot down,
to cause to fall by hitting with a shot: They shot down several ducks.
Informal.to disparage, reject, or expose as false or inadequate; debunk: to shoot down a popular theory.
shoot for / atto attempt to obtain or accomplish; strive toward: He is shooting for a higher production level.
shoot up,
to grow rapidly or suddenly.
Informal.to damage or harass by reckless shooting: cowboys shooting up the town.
to wound by shooting: He shot up the lion, but his guide killed it.
Slang.to inject an addictive drug intravenously.
Idioms for shoot
shoot from the hip, to act or speak without due consideration or deliberation.
shoot off one's mouth / face, Slang.
to talk indiscreetly, especially to reveal confidences, make thoughtless remarks, etc.
to exaggerate: He likes to shoot off his mouth about what a great guy he is.
shoot one's bolt. Informal. bolt1 (def. 29).
shoot one's wad. Informal. wad1 (def. 13).
shoot the breeze. Slang. breeze1 (def. 11).
shoot the bull. Slang. bull3 (def. 2).
shoot the works. Slang. work (def. 55).
Origin of shoot
1
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb shoten, Old English scēotan; cognate with Dutch schieten, German schiessen, Old Norse skjōta; akin to shot1
We spoke with Egan about where the green shoots are and how publishers’ relationships with platforms are shifting.
‘We’re getting more used to the uncertainty’: BBC Global News chief on ad-funded news|Lucinda Southern|September 10, 2020|Digiday
Today, green shoots of community intelligence can be seen all around us.
The race for a COVID-19 vaccine shows the power of ‘community intelligence’|matthewheimer|September 9, 2020|Fortune
It’s so popular that couples carve out time in the itinerary to make a shoot happen, often with the help of drones.
Couples spend thousands on a wedding photographer for that perfect shot|Rachel King|September 6, 2020|Fortune
He has also adapted to the growing demands of his clients, whether they want to be subject of their own styled shoot or simply geek out on photography.
Couples spend thousands on a wedding photographer for that perfect shot|Rachel King|September 6, 2020|Fortune
His answers were so direct that the planned shoot was over in about half an hour, Ebersole says.
‘House of Cardin’ aims to be more than a fashion documentary|radmarya|August 27, 2020|Fortune
I mean, the reality of it was, I had to go out and get on a horse, and ride in, shoot the gun — how hard was that, right?
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But even when the jet will be able to shoot its gun, the F-35 barely carries enough ammunition to make the weapon useful.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The brand logo turned out to feature a graceful archer on horseback, in a Tatar national costume, poised to shoot his arrow.
Rebranding The Land of Mongol Warriors & Ivan The Terrible|Anna Nemtsova|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the beginning of the video and before the call to kill police, you can hear what sounds like, “arms up, shoot back!”
The Monsters Who Screamed for Dead Cops|Jacob Siegel|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some of the slogans used that night—including “arms up, shoot back!”
The Monsters Who Screamed for Dead Cops|Jacob Siegel|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I know you would as soon lasso a wild cowboy as shoot a basket.
Jane Allen: Center|Edith Bancroft
It orders its servants to lay aside pity and burn peasants in their homes, to bayonet women and children, to shoot old men.
Golden Lads|Arthur Gleason and Helen Hayes Gleason
He tells me to say he does not wish to attack and shoot you all down, though you deserve it.
The Kopje Garrison|George Manville Fenn
Thus one aims at, say, a rabbit; what he wants is to shoot straight: a certain kind of activity.
Democracy and Education|John Dewey
In testing the function of these bows and their ability to shoot, a bamboo flight arrow made by Ishi was used as the standard.
Hunting with the Bow and Arrow|Saxton Pope
British Dictionary definitions for shoot
shoot
/ (ʃuːt) /
verbshoots, shootingorshot
(tr)to hit, wound, damage, or kill with a missile discharged from a weapon
to discharge (a missile or missiles) from a weapon
to fire (a weapon) or (of a weapon) to be fired
to send out or be sent out as if from a weaponhe shot questions at her
(intr)to move very rapidly; dart
(tr)to slide or push into or out of a fasteningto shoot a bolt
to emit (a ray of light) or (of a ray of light) to be emitted
(tr)to go or pass quickly over or throughto shoot rapids
(intr)to hunt game with a gun for sport
(tr)to pass over (an area) in hunting game
to extend or cause to extend; project
(tr)to discharge down or as if down a chute
(intr)(of a plant) to produce (buds, branches, etc)
(intr)(of a seed) to germinate
to photograph or record (a sequence, subject, etc)
(tr; usually passive)to variegate or streak, as with colour
sportto hit or propel (the ball, etc) towards the goal
(tr)sport, mainlyUS and Canadianto score (points, strokes, etc)he shot 72 on the first round
(tr)to plane (a board) to produce a straight edge
(tr)miningto detonate
(tr)to measure the altitude of (a celestial body)
(often foll by up)slangto inject (someone, esp oneself) with (a drug, esp heroin)
shoot a line See line 1 (def. 58)
shoot from the hipto speak bluntly or impulsively without concern for the consequences
shoot one's bolt See bolt 1 (def. 13)
shoot oneself in the footinformalto damage one's own cause inadvertently
shoot one's mouth offslang
to talk indiscreetly
to boast or exaggerate
shoot the breeze See breeze 1 (def. 5)
noun
the act of shooting
the action or motion of something that is shot
the first aerial part of a plant to develop from a germinating seed
any new growth of a plant, such as a bud, young branch, etc
mainlyBritisha meeting or party organized for hunting game with guns
an area or series of coverts and woods where game can be hunted with guns
a steep descent in a stream; rapid
informala photographic assignment
geologymininga narrow workable vein of ore
obsoletethe reach of a shot
the whole shootslangeverything
interjection
US and Canadianan exclamation expressing disbelief, scepticism, disgust, disappointment, etc
See also shoot down, shoot out, shoot through, shoot up
Word Origin for shoot
Old English sceōtan; related to Old Norse skjōta, Old High German skiozan to shoot, Old Slavonic iskydati to throw out