Gunshot

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɡʌn.ʃɒt/

Definitions

1. The sharp noise produced when a gun is fired ; a wound or harm inflicted by a bullet from a gun
2. The report or explosive sound made by discharging a firearm ; damage or trauma resulting from a bullet strike
3. The loud bang associated with firing a gun ; physical injury caused by a projectile shot from a firearm

Etymology: "Gunshot" is a plain compound: "gun" joined to "shot," with no hidden history behind either part. Its meaning rests on the older sense of "shot" as a discharged projectile or the act of firing, so a gunshot is literally the firing of a gun, and the word came to name both the blast of that firing and the wound a bullet leaves behind. The sense of "shot" that matters here is the one that gave English words like "buckshot" and "shotgun," where it refers to the missile itself. Over time, the word shifted from the sound of the discharge to the injury it causes, so a person can be described as having a gunshot wound without anyone hearing a bang at all.

Synonyms: fire, shot