Definition of "shotgun" []

• A smoothbore gun that fires shot over short ranges. Also called scattergun. (noun)
• Football An offensive formation, used especially for passing, in which the quarterback receives the snap several yards behind the line of scrimmage. (noun)
• 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. (noun)
• Of, relating to, or using a shotgun. (adjective)
• Obtained by or involving by coercion: a shotgun compromise. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "My main shotgun is an 870 and I love it, but when I went to by another one to setup for deer hunting I saw a Mossberg 500 for a price I couldn't pass up."
• "The term shotgun refers to firing (loading) many bullets (modules) at once, in the hope that one or more will find the target."
• "Delectible, Thick Squirell Stew new website for Old Mossy Outfitters in Northern Manitoba Canada who's bow season has ended and who's going out for a last stand against the deer? ok turkey hunting Q. my shotgun is a rem. 870 wingmaster and lets face it this is a "SHINY" gun i've heard the glare off guns ca"