Etymology

Noun

1. A gun which fires loads consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.
2. The front passenger seat in a vehicle, next to the driver.

   I call shotgun! (I claim the right to sit in the passenger seat.)

3. A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line. Mostly heard in the southern United States.

   Elvis Presley was born in a two-bedroom shotgun in Tupelo, Mississippi.

4. A play formation in which the quarterback is a few feet behind the snapper when the ball is hiked, ideally allowing for an easier pass play.

Verb

1. To inhale from a pipe or other smoking device, followed shortly by an exhalation into someone else’s mouth.
2. To verbally lay claim to (something)

   I got a day off because I shotgunned it.

3. To hit the ball directly back at the pitcher.
4. To rapidly drink a beverage from a can by making a hole in the bottom of the can, placing the hole above one's mouth, and opening the top.

Adjective

1. Of or relating to a shotgun.

   The ground was littered with shotgun shells.

2. Occuring as a result of the threat of force.
3. Utilizing numerous or highly diverse means to achieve a particular result.