shotgun

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A smoothbore gun that fires shot over short ranges. Also called scattergun.
2. n. Football An offensive formation, used especially for passing, in which the quarterback receives the snap several yards behind the line of scrimmage.
3. n. Southern U.S. A house whose architecture is characterized by several rooms joined in a straight line from the front to the back: "Shotguns [are] so named because a shotgun fired through the front door of these long, narrow homes could pass straight through the house and out the back door without hitting any barriers” ( Melissa O. Fryauf). See Regional Note at beignet.
4. adj. Of, relating to, or using a shotgun.
5. adj. Obtained by or involving by coercion: a shotgun compromise.
6. adj. Covering a wide range in a haphazard or ineffective manner: shotgun methods of testing the hypothesis that wasted time and money.
7. v. To shoot at with a shotgun.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A smooth-bore gun used for firing small shot, as in the chase of birds and small quadrupeds; a fowling-piece: commonly called gun simply, in implied distinction from rifle or other small-arm. Some shot-guns are too heavy to be brought to the shoulder. (See punt-gun, ducking-gun.) Shot-guns are usually either single-barreled or double-barreled; rarely a third barrel is added; sometimes one of the barrels is rifled (see the quotation), Besides being smooth-bored, a shot-gun differs from any form of rifle in having no hind-sight and a simple pin as fore-sight. Shot-guns are also distinguished as muzzle-loaders and breech-loaders; the former are little used now. Though the bore is always smooth, it is often contracted toward the muzzle to concentrate the discharge. (See choke-bore.) The standard shot-gun now most used by sportsmen is the double-barreled breech-loader, of 7 to 10 pounds weight, about 30 inches length of barrel, length and drop of stock fitting the shooter, often with pistol-grip, caliber usually 10, 12, or 14, and taking corresponding sizes of paper or metal shot-cartridges (see shell) with center-fire primers or percussion-caps and an automatic ejector; such as have the cock or hammer concealed in the mechanism of the lock are specified as hammerless. The special makes are numberless, but decided variations from the standard pattern are rare. Shot-guns are seldom fitted with hair-triggers, but usually with rebounding locks, in which the hammer flies back to half-cock on delivering the blow on the plunger. A special form of shot-gun, used by naturalists, is described under cane-gun.

Wiktionary

1. n. A gun which fires loads consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.
2. n. slang The front passenger seat in a vehicle, next to the driver; so called because the position of the shotgun-armed guard on a horse-drawn stage-coach, wagon train, or gold transport was next to the driver on a forward-mounted bench seat.
3. n. US A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line. Mostly heard in the southern United States.
4. n. American football A play formation in which the quarterback is a few feet behind the snapper when the ball is hiked, ideally allowing for an easier pass play.
5. v. slang, smoking To inhale from a pipe or other smoking device, followed shortly by an exhalation into someone else’s mouth.
6. v. transitive, informal To verbally lay claim to (something)
7. v. transitive, baseball To hit the ball directly back at the pitcher.
8. v. US, slang To rapidly drink a beverage from a can by making a hole in the bottom of the can, placing the hole above one's mouth, and opening the top.
9. adj. Of or relating to a shotgun.
10. adj. Occurring as a result of the threat of force.
11. adj. Utilizing numerous or highly diverse means to achieve a particular result.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A light, smooth-bored gun, often double-barreled, especially designed for firing small shot at short range, and killing small game.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. firearm that is a double-barreled smoothbore shoulder weapon for firing shot at short ranges