Shot

n.: pl. SHŎT, or SHŌTS. [A-S. scyte, a blow; Icel. skot, a throwing, a javelin; Sw. skott, Dan. skud, L. Ger. schott, schöte, D. schot, schoot, scheut, O. H. Ger. scūz, N. H. Ger. schusz. See SHOOT.]

1Sense 1. The act of shooting; discharge of a missile weapon.

He caused twenty shot of his greatest cannon to be made at the king’s army. Clarendon.

2Sense 2. A missile weapon, particularly a ball or bullet; properly, whatever is discharged from firearms or cannon by the force of gunpowder.

☞ Shot used in war is of various kinds, classified according to the material of which it is composed, as stone, lead, wrought-iron, and cast-iron; according to their form, into spherical and oblong; according to structure and mode of operation, into solid, hollow, and case. See ANGEL-SHOT, BAR-SHOT, CHAIN-SHOT, CASE-SHOT, &c.

3Sense 3. Small globular masses of lead, of various sizes, used for killing birds and other small animals; as, bird-shot, buck-shot, &c.

4Sense 4. The flight of a missile weapon, or the distance which it passes from the engine; as, a cannon shot; a musket shot; a pistol shot; a bow shot.

5Sense 5. A marksman; one who practices shooting; as, an excellent shot.

Shot of a cable (Naut.), the splicing of two cables together, or the whole length of two or more cables thus united.

n. [See SCOT.] Share or proportion; reckoning; scot. Here no shots are where all sharers be. Chapman. A man is never welcome to a place, till some certain shot be paid, and the hostess say, Welcome. Shak.

[imp. & p. p. SHOTTED; p. pr. & vb. n. SHOTTING.] To load with shot over a cartridge; as, to shot the guns. Totten.