birdshot

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English

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Etymology

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From bird +‎ shot.

Noun

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birdshot (countable and uncountable, plural birdshots)

  1. A small lead or steel shot, or ammunition, used in shotgun shells.
    • 2007 May 2, The Associated Press, “Florida Six Wounded in Shootings”, in New York Times[1]:
      In the first shooting, four of the teenagers were sitting on a porch and were peppered with birdshot from a shotgun fired from a passing car around 2:30 p.m., Sheriff John Rutherford said.
  2. A rifle or pistol cartridge containing small shot instead of a single larger projectile.