Word
shoot
US/ˈʃut/
UK/ʃˈuːt/
Forms
Infinitive
shoot
Past
shot
Past participle
shot
Definitions
01to fire a weapon
v. to fire a bullet from a gun or an arrow from a bow.
v. to discharge a projectile from a weapon, such as a firearm or bow. Transitive when specifying a target or weapon.
“The hunter decided not to shoot the deer because it was too far away.”
“The soldiers were instructed not to shoot until they had a clear line of sight and positive identification of the target.”
02sports
v. to try to score a goal or point in a game like football or basketball.
v. to propel a ball or puck toward a goal or hoop in an attempt to score.
“You should shoot the ball as soon as you have an open space.”
“The striker chose to shoot from outside the penalty area, catching the goalkeeper off guard with a powerful low drive.”
03photography/film
v. to take a photograph or record a video.
v. to capture an image or record a sequence of film or video. Often used in professional contexts.
“We are going to shoot the wedding photos in the park.”
“The director decided to shoot the entire sequence in a single take to maintain the tension of the scene.”
Synonyms
04to move quickly
v. to move very fast in a certain direction.
v. to move or progress with great speed or suddenness. Intransitive in this sense.
“A sharp pain shot up his leg when he tried to stand.”
“The car shot past us on the motorway, disappearing into the distance before we could even see the driver.”
05to inject drugs
v. to put illegal drugs into your body using a needle.
v. to inject a drug intravenously. Highly informal and associated with substance abuse.
“The movie showed the harsh reality of people who shoot heroin in the streets.”
“The documentary explored the lives of individuals who shoot drugs in abandoned buildings, highlighting the need for better social support.”
Slang · Informal
Synonyms
06new plant growth
n. a new part of a plant that is just starting to grow out of the ground or a branch.
n. the newly developed part of a plant, such as a stem or bud, emerging from the seed or an existing plant part.
“In the spring, green shoots began to appear in the garden.”
“The gardener carefully pruned the dead wood to encourage the growth of healthy new shoots during the next season.”
07photo session
n. an occasion when someone takes professional photos or films something.
n. a scheduled session for professional photography or filmmaking.
“The model arrived two hours late for the fashion shoot.”
“The magazine organized a high-budget shoot in the desert to showcase the new summer collection.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“He explained that he had "not intended to shoot his friend" , but opened fire when the driver also pulled a gun.” “Humans cannot shoot spider silk from their bodies, but scientists have studied this amazing material for decades, working to adapt it for a range of technological applications.” “During a preparatory photo shoot, Isherwood “always sat with his foot across his knee, and he always looked at Don,” Hockney later wrote .” Etymology
Inherited from Middle English scheten, schoten, from Old English scēotan, from Proto-West Germanic skeutan, from Proto-Germanic skeutaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kéwd-e-ti, from (s)kewd- (“to shoot, throw”). Cognates Cognate with West Frisian sjitte, Low German scheten, Dutch schieten, German schießen, Danish skyde, Norwegian Bokmål skyte, Norwegian Nynorsk skyta, Swedish skjuta; and also, through Indo-European, with Russian кида́ть (kidátʹ), Albanian hedh (“to throw, toss”), Persian چست (čost, “quick, active”), Lithuanian skudrùs.
Minced oath for shit.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Idioms
shoot 'em up — A piece of media which depicts considerable gunplay.
shoot down — To criticize (a request) to the point of preclusion.
shoot first and ask questions later — To take hasty, immediate action with serious consequences, without first adequately investigating the situation.
shoot from the lip — To speak confidently and unhesitantly but without careful forethought or a reliable knowledge of important facts pertaining to the subject matter.
shoot holes — Find faults.
shoot off — To do (something, usually a written or verbal communication) quickly, and without hesitation or forethought.
shoot off at the mouth — To boast, or brag, or talk too much.
shoot one's bolt — To use up one's resources, especially a singular one or one not readily restored.
shoot one's load — To ejaculate; to cum.
shoot oneself in the foot — To act against one's own interests; to unintentionally behave self-destructively.
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shoot the boots — To kick swiftly and violently, especially in the groin.
shoot the breeze — To chat idly or generally waste time talking.
shoot the bull — To chinwag; to talk idly.
shoot the messenger — To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable for a problem because they brought attention to it.
turkey shoot — A situation in which numerous weapons are discharged against prey, opponents, or victims who have little ability to protect or defend themselves.