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REFERENCE

shotgun

n. · v.
US //ˈʃɑtˌɡən// UK //ʃˈɒtɡʌn// shot·gun
  1. 1 a type of gun (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a long gun that fires many small metal balls at once instead of a single bullet.

    a smoothbore firearm designed to fire a number of small pellets, or shot, typically used for hunting or security.

    Example

    The farmer kept a shotgun in the shed to protect his chickens from foxes.

    Example

    Unlike a rifle which fires a single projectile, a shotgun disperses a cloud of lead or steel pellets, making it effective for hitting moving targets at close range.
  2. 2 front passenger seat (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    the seat next to the driver in a car.

    the front passenger seat of a vehicle. Derived from the historical position of an armed guard on a stagecoach.

    Example

    I called shotgun, so I get to sit in the front and pick the music.

    Example

    The children raced to the driveway, each shouting 'shotgun' in an attempt to secure the most comfortable seat for the long journey ahead.
    • passenger seat
    • back seat
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  1. 3 American house style (n.)
    C2 Proficiency American English Technical

    a narrow, one-story house where the rooms are in a straight line with no hallways.

    a narrow, rectangular residential dwelling, usually no more than 12 feet wide, with rooms arranged one behind the other and doors at each end.

    Example

    Many historic neighborhoods in New Orleans are famous for their colorful shotgun houses.

    Example

    The architectural survey highlighted the preservation of nineteenth-century shotgun dwellings, noting their efficient use of narrow urban lots and natural ventilation.
  2. 4 to claim something (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Slang

    to say out loud that you want something before anyone else can take it.

    to verbally assert a primary claim to a resource or position, such as a seat or a bedroom.

    Example

    I shotgun the biggest bedroom in the new apartment.

    Example

    Before the group had even reached the hotel lobby, Mark had already shotgunned the top bunk, much to the annoyance of his younger brother.
  3. 5 to drink quickly (v.)
    C1 Advanced American English Slang

    to drink the contents of a can very fast by making a hole in the bottom.

    to consume a canned beverage rapidly by puncturing a hole in the side near the base and opening the top tab to increase flow.

    Example

    The college students were shotgunning sodas at the end of the race.

    Example

    The practice of shotgunning beverages is a common, albeit messy, sight at American tailgate parties and fraternity events.
  4. 6 to try many things at once (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Informal Computing

    to send out many requests or try many solutions at once, hoping one will work.

    to employ an indiscriminate or wide-ranging approach to a problem, such as sending numerous identical requests or testing multiple variables simultaneously.

    Example

    Instead of fixing the specific bug, he tried shotgunning the code with random changes.

    Example

    The developer decided to shotgun the API requests to several servers at once to see which one would respond the respond the fastest.
Origin

From shot + gun. Front passenger seat sense comes from ride shotgun.

Idioms3 entries

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