Shotgunners

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of individual who engages in shooting with a shotgun, often in competitive shooting sports
2. Those who utilize shotguns for hunting or target practice, emphasizing the spread of pellets
3. People who adopt aggressive tactics or strategies in various contexts, metaphorically likening them to the action of using a shotgun

Etymology: "Shotgunner" is a plain formation from "shotgun" plus the agent suffix "-er," which turns a verb or noun into the name of someone who does a thing. A shotgunner is someone who fires a shotgun, so the word describes a person by the tool they use. The base word is a compound of "shot," meaning the small pellets a shotgun fires, and "gun." "Shot" comes from Old English "sceot," a missile or a discharge, which is tied to the verb "shoot." The suffix "-er" descends from Old English "-ere," used for people who carry out an action, as in "hunter" or "driver."