The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - shotn.

1) discharge, shooting: The town was captured without a shot being fired. 2) bullet, ball, slug, cannon-ball, buckshot, pellet, projectile, missile: A dumdum bullet is a piece of soft shot with a hollowed-out nose. 3) attempt, try, opportunity, chance, go, essay, endeavour, guess, conjecture, Colloq stab, crack, whack: You are allowed three shots at the answer. 4) marksman, markswoman, sharpshooter, sniper, rifleman: Geraghty is an excellent shot and favourite for an Olympic gold. 5) photograph, snapshot, picture, Colloq snap, photo: Miller took some excellent action shots using stroboscopic lighting. 6) injection, inoculation, vaccination: The doctor gave me a flu shot this morning. 7) drink, jigger, tot, dram, nip, spot, swallow, Colloq finger, swig, slug, snort: Will you have a shot of whisky with me, Muldoon? 8 (space) launch or launching: The moon shot scheduled for today has been postponed owing to technical difficulties. 9) call the shots. run or direct or manage or administer or control things or affairs or matters, run the show, rule the roost, be in command or the driver's seat: Ravelli calls the shots around here, and don't you forget it. 1) 0 like a shot. quickly, swiftly, rapidly, speedily, hurriedly, hastily, at once, like a flash, immediately, instantly, instantaneously, Colloq in two shakes of a lamb's tail, like greased lightning, before you can say 'Jack Robinson': All I had to do was mention ice-cream, and the children were in here like a shot. 11) (not) by a long shot. no way, under no circumstances, by no means, on no account, by no chance, never: You ask if he can get elected and my response is, 'Not by a long shot'. 12 shot in the arm. boost, stimulus, encouragement, incentive, inducement, provocation, motivation: The team needs a shot in the arm to improve morale.