Shotgun

English

Noun

Shotgun (countable and uncountable; plural Shotguns)

1. A gun which fires loads consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.
2. (slang) The front passenger seat in a vehicle, next to the driver; so called because the position of the shotgun-armed guard on a horse-drawn stage-coach, wagon train, or gold transport was next to the driver on a forward-mounted bench seat.
3. (US) A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line. Mostly heard in the southern United States.
4. (American football) A play formation in which the quarterback is a few feet behind the snapper when the ball is hiked, ideally allowing for an easier pass play.

Verb

Shotgun (third-person singular simple present Shotguns, present participle shotgunning, simple past and past participle shotgunned)

1. (slang, smoking) To inhale from a pipe or other smoking device, followed shortly by an exhalation into someone else’s mouth.
2. (transitive, informal) To verbally lay claim to (something)

   I got a day off because I shotgunned it.

3. (transitive, baseball) To hit the ball directly back at the pitcher.
4. (US, slang) To rapidly drink a beverage from a can by making a hole in the bottom of the can, placing the hole above one's mouth, and opening the top.

Adjective

Shotgun (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to a shotgun.

   The ground was littered with shotgun shells.

2. Occurring as a result of the threat of force.

   a shotgun wedding

3. Utilizing numerous or highly diverse means to achieve a particular result.

Thesaurus

automatic, blowgun, blowpipe, coerce, compel, concuss, constrain, firearm, flamethrower, gat, gun, handgun, heater, make, musket, oblige, peashooter, piece, pistol, repeater, revolver, rifle, rod, sawed-off shotgun, shooting iron, six-gun, six-shooter