buckshot

1 of 2

noun

buck·​shot ˈbək-ˌshät How to pronounce buckshot (audio)
: lead shot that is from .24 to .33 inch (about 6.1 to 8.4 millimeters) in diameter

buckshot

2 of 2

adjective

Examples of buckshot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The result was what can safely be called overkill, like hitting a pigeon at point blank range with buckshot – only with a lot fewer feathers. New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2025 Prosecutors said the brothers then opened fire with more than a dozen rounds of buckshot while their parents were watching TV on a couch in the family’s den. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Some of the buckshot pellets passed through Arbery’s body, the autopsy showed. Shaddi Abusaid, ajc, 17 Feb. 2022 The buckshot pellets from the blast pierced my right shoulder and chest; blood gushed from the wound. Dennis S. Charney, STAT, 18 June 2021 See All Example Sentences for buckshot

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1775, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of buckshot was in 1775

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Cite this Entry

“Buckshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buckshot. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

buckshot

noun
buck·​shot
-ˌshät
plural buckshot or buckshots
: a large shotgun pellet

More from Merriam-Webster on buckshot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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