shoot

1 /Su:t/ verb past tense and past participle shot /St/ GUNS/WEAPONS

1 KILL/INJURE (T) to deliberately kill or injure someone using a gun: Lincoln was shot while watching a play in Ford's Theater. | shoot sb in the leg/head etc: He had been shot in the back while trying to escape. | shoot sb dead: They were shot dead in their home by armed robbers. | shoot (sb) on sight (=shoot as soon as you see someone): The guards have orders to shoot intruders on sight.

2 FIRE A GUN (I, T) to fire a weapon at someone, or make a weapon fire: I'm coming out with my hands up, don't shoot. | shoot at (=try to shoot someone): We spent the afternoon shooting at pigeons on the roof. | shoot bullets/arrows etc: It's only a toy - it doesn't shoot real bullets. | shoot a gun/rifle etc: I learned to shoot a revolver when I was a child. | shoot to kill (=shoot at someone with the intention of killing them, because they are considered very dangerous): The police were told to shoot to kill.

3 BIRDS/ANIMALS (I, T) to shoot and kill animals or birds as a sport: They spent the weekend in Scotland shooting grouse.

SPORT

4 (I, T) to kick or throw a ball in a sport such as football or basketball towards the place where you can get a point: Magic turned and shot the ball, making a 3 pointer in the final second.

(+ at): The striker shot at goal and missed.

5 shoot pool/billiards etc AmE informal to play a game such as pool 1 (3) or billiards

SPEAK/TALK/ASK

6 shoot questions at to ask someone a lot of questions very quickly: The lawyer shot a series of rapid questions at Hendrickson.

7 shoot your mouth off informal to talk about something that you should not talk about or that you know nothing about: Don't go shooting your mouth off, now.

8 shoot the bull/shoot the breeze AmE informal to have an informal conversation about unimportant things: Cal and I were sitting on the porch shooting the breeze.

9 shoot! AmE spoken used to tell someone to start speaking: “Shoot, Ward,” Richards said, “ask anything you want.”

QUICK/SUDDEN

10 MOVE QUICKLY (intransitive always + adv/prep, transitive always + adv/prep) to move quickly in a particular direction, or to make something move in this way

(+ past/along etc): She shot past me and ran into the house. | Flames were shooting skyward. | shoot sth up/in/along etc: The fountains shoot water at the walls of the pool.

11 shoot to fame/stardom etc to suddenly become very successful: Their new album shot straight to the top of the album charts.

12 PAIN (intransitive always + adv/prep) if pain shoots through your body, you feel it going quickly through it

(+ through/along): A spasm of pain suddenly shot along his arm. | shooting pains (=continuous short pains passing through your body): shooting pains in your back

13 shoot a look/glance (at) to look at someone quickly, especially so that other people do not see, to show them how you feel: Jack shot an anxious look at his mother.

OTHER MEANINGS

14 PHOTOGRAPH (I, T) to take photographs or make a film of something: When one of the actors died, they had to shoot the final scene again.

15 PLANTS (I) if a plant shoots, a new part of it starts to grow, especially a new stem and leaves

16 LOCK ON A DOOR to move the bolt on a door so that it is in the locked or unlocked position

17 shoot! AmE spoken used to show that you are annoyed or disappointed about something: Shoot! I knew this would happen.

18 shoot yourself in the foot to say or do something stupid that will cause you a lot of trouble: Glen really shot himself in the foot shouting at his boss like that.

19 shoot the lights BrE informal to keep driving even though the traffic lights say you should stop

20 shoot your bolt BrE also shoot your wad AmE informal to have used all of your money, power, energy etc

—see also: shot 2, blame/shoot the messenger messenger (2) shoot sb/sth down phrasal verb (T)

1 to destroy an enemy plane while it is flying: Rhodes's plane was shot down over France.

2 to kill someone with a gun, especially someone who cannot defend themselves: They are accused of shooting down unarmed demonstrators.

3 shoot sb/sth down (in flames) informal to tell someone that what they are saying or suggesting is wrong or stupid: Another of my great ideas shot down in flames!

shoot for/at sth phrasal verb (T) informal, especially AmE to try to achieve a particular aim, especially one that is very difficult: Management is shooting for a 50% increase in sales in the next financial year. shoot off phrasal verb (I) BrE informal to leave quickly or suddenly: Sorry, but I'll have to shoot off before the end of the meeting. shoot through phrasal verb (I) informal especially AustrE

1 to leave a place, especially very quickly

2 to die

shoot up phrasal verb

1 (I) to quickly increase in number or amount: Prices have certainly shot up recently. | Supermarkets are shooting up all over the area.

2 (I) to grow taller very quickly: Your son's really shot up since we last saw him.

3 (transitive shoot someone/something up) to injure or damage someone or something by shooting them with bullets: The building was so badly shot up it was unrecognizable.

4 (I, T) slang to take illegal drugs by using a needle

2 noun (C)

1 the part of a plant that that comes up above the ground when it is just beginning to grow

2 an occasion when someone takes photographs or makes a film: One of the models is on a shoot for that new perfume Passion.

3 an occasion when people shoot birds or animals for sport, or the area of land where they do this