noun
shotgun
SHOT-guhn
noun
1
A gun that fires a spray of small metal pellets, typically used for hunting or sport shooting.
"He kept a shotgun for hunting pheasant."
2
The front passenger seat of a vehicle.
"I called shotgun before anyone else could."
adjective
1
Describing an approach that uses many scattered attempts rather than one focused one.
"They took a shotgun approach, applying to dozens of jobs at once."
How to Use Shotgun
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA pellet-firing gun; also slang for the front passenger seat, or a scattershot approach to a problem.
Common pairings
call shotgun
shotgun approach
shotgun wedding
Word Forms
shotgunned past tense, shotguns plural, shotguns singular
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He kept a _____ for hunting pheasant.
Etymology
From shot + gun; the "front passenger seat" sense comes from the phrase "ride shotgun", referring to the armed guard who once sat beside a stagecoach driver.