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Definition of "one-shot" []

  • Informal Becoming effective after only one attempt: looked for a one-shot solution to the problem. (adjective)
  • Informal Being the only one and unlikely to be repeated: The funding was a one-shot deal. (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.

Use "one-shot" in a sentence
  • "Playing partner McIlroy finished seven over par after struggling to a 73 which saw him call a one-shot penalty on himself on the seventh green when his ball moved in a gust of wind as he addressed it."
  • "In the past New Zealand's earthquakes have been characterized by one-shot blows, the first and most dangerous shake being followed over the next hours, at most, few days, with limited aftershocks as the earth's crust settles into its new conformation."
  • "So-called one-shot experiments, which try to exclude the factors of repetition and reputation, are difficult to interpret."