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[shot-guhn] /ˈʃɒtˌgʌn/
Football. an offensive formation, designed primarily for passing situations, in which the backfield is spread out with the quarterback positioned a few yards behind the center and the other backs, as potential pass receivers, positioned as slotbacks or flankers.
of, pertaining to, used in, or carried out with a shotgun:
a shotgun murder; shotgun pellets.
covering a wide area in an irregularly effective manner without concern for details or particulars; tending to be all-inclusive, nonselective, and haphazard; indiscriminate in choice and indifferent to specific results:
He favored the shotgun approach in his political attacks.
seeking a desired result through the use or inclusion of a wide variety of elements.
having all the rooms opening one into the next in a line from front to back:
shotgun apartment; shotgun cottage.
gained or characterized by coercive methods.
verb (used with object), shotgunned, shotgunning.
to fire a shotgun at.
ride shotgun,
  1. (formerly) to ride atop a stagecoach as a shotgun-bearing guard.
  2. to protect or keep a watchful eye on something:
    riding shotgun over the nation's economy.
1770-80, Americanism; shot1 + gun1 Unabridged
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British Dictionary definitions for ride shot-gun


  1. a shoulder firearm with unrifled bore designed for the discharge of small shot at short range and used mainly for hunting small game
  2. (as modifier): shotgun fire
(American football) an offensive formation in which the quarterback lines up for a snap unusually far behind the line of scrimmage
(mainly US) involving coercion or duress: a shotgun merger
(mainly US) involving or relying on speculative suggestions, etc: a shotgun therapy
verb -guns, -gunning, -gunned
(transitive) (US) to shoot or threaten with or as if with a shotgun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for ride shot-gun



1821, American English, from shot (n.) in the sense of "lead in small pellets" (1770) + gun (n.). As distinguished from a rifle, which fires bullets. Shotgun wedding first attested 1903, American English.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang definitions & phrases for ride shot-gun


  1. Drunk (1864+)
  2. (also shot to hell) Worn out or out of repair: This old machine is shot (1930+)
  3. Exhausted; ill; in bad shape: Say, am I shot? (1939+)
  1. A drink of straight liquor (1676+)
  2. A glass or other serving of Coca-Cola2 (1950s+ Southern & Western lunch counter)
  3. An injection of narcotics; fix (1920s+ Narcotics)
  4. An atomic explosion, a rocket or missile launching, or some other complex sort of military and technological blasting (1950s+)
  5. A person's particular preference, style, etc; bag, thing: That's our shot. That's who we are (1960s+)
  6. A try; an attempt, esp at something rather difficult: He didn't make it, but he gave it a hell of a shot (1840+)
  7. A very hard-hit ball, usually a line drive, and often a home run (1880+ Baseball)
  8. A televison appearance: But it was the exposure on television that seemed to count most ...with a shot on ''Good Morning America'' believed to be worth its weight in votes (1980s+)
  9. Interpretation; understanding; opinion; guess; take: Gimme your shot on Leon. You know, tell me about him (1980s+)
Related Terms

beaver shot, call the shots, cheap shot, drop case, give something a shot, give something one's best shot, grab shot, half-shot, have a crack at something, hot shot, long shot, mug shot, not by a long shot, one-shot

[the drinking senses are shortenings of an early 1800s expression shot in the neck, meaning both ''a drink'' and ''drunk''; shoot, ''to guess,'' is found by 1864]

shot across the bow, a

noun phrase

A warning or admonition: White House dithering led the Republican whip to fire a warning shot across the Administration's bow

[1990s+; fr an old naval practice]

Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.
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Idioms and Phrases with ride shot-gun


In addition to the idiom beginning with shotgun also see: ride shotgun
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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