a shooter

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformal

   A small glass of a strong alcoholic drink, often drunk quickly in one go.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a shooter' or 'two shooters'. Often used in the phrase 'a round of shooters'.

   Patterns

   • a shooter of something
   • do a shooter
   • order a shooter

   The bar was offering a free shooter with every cocktail.

   They did a round of shooters before dinner and everyone laughed.

   He ordered a shooter of tequila and drank it in one go.

2. 2nouncountable

   A person who shoots a gun, especially in sport or as a job.

   Grammar: Countable and usually used with an adjective or in compounds: 'a good shooter', 'a sharpshooter'.

   Patterns

   • a good shooter
   • a poor shooter
   • a shooter on a team

   She is one of the best shooters on the basketball team.

   The police described the shooter as a man in his thirties.

   In biathlon, the best shooters often win the race.

Word forms

Common combinations

a round of shooters

The bartender brought a round of shooters for the table.

do a shooter

They dared him to do a shooter of hot sauce.

a shooter of tequila

She ordered a shooter of tequila and a slice of lime.

a school shooter

The news reported that the school shooter had been arrested.

Synonyms and how they differ

shot

In bar contexts, 'shot' is the more common word for the same small strong drink; 'shooter' often suggests it is drunk quickly.

gunman

Use 'gunman' rather than 'shooter' when you mean a person who uses a gun in a crime; 'shooter' is broader and can be neutral.

Word family

shoot verb

To fire a gun or weapon, or to kick or throw at a goal.

shooting noun

An occasion when someone fires a gun, often causing injury.

shooter noun

This word: a person who shoots, or a small strong drink.

Commonly confused: a shooter or shutter?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a shooter”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words