7 PHRASE If you talk about being in someone's shoes , you talk about what you would do or how you would feel if you were in their situation. □ I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.
shoe|horn /ʃuː hɔː r n/ (shoehorns , shoehorning , shoehorned )
1 N‑COUNT A shoehorn is a piece of metal or plastic with a slight curve that you put in the back of your shoe so that your heel will go into the shoe easily.
2 VERB If you shoehorn something into a tight place, you manage to get it in there even though it is difficult. □ [be V -ed + into ] Their cars are shoehorned into tiny spaces. □ [V n + into ] I was shoehorning myself into my skin-tight ball gown.
shoe|lace /ʃuː le I s/ (shoelaces ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Shoelaces are long, narrow pieces of material like pieces of string that you use to fasten your shoes. [BRIT ] □ He began to tie his shoelaces. in AM, use shoestrings
shoe|maker /ʃuː me I kə r / (shoemakers ) N‑COUNT A shoemaker is a person whose job is making shoes and boots.
shoe|string /ʃuː str I ŋ/ (shoestrings )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Shoestrings are long, narrow pieces of material like pieces of string that you use to fasten your shoes. [AM ] in BRIT, use shoelaces 2 ADJ [ADJ n] A shoestring budget is one where you have very little money to spend. □ The British-produced film was made on a shoestring budget.
3 PHRASE If you do something or make something on a shoestring , you do it using very little money. □ The theatre will be run on a shoestring.
shone /ʃɒ n, [AM ] ʃoʊ n/ Shone is the past tense and past participle of shine .
shoo /ʃuː / (shoos , shooing , shooed )
1 VERB If you shoo an animal or a person away , you make them go away by waving your hands or arms at them. □ [V n with adv] You'd better shoo him away. □ [V n prep] I shooed him out of the room.
2 EXCLAM You say ' shoo! ' to an animal when you want it to go away. □ Shoo, bird, shoo.
shoo -in (shoo-ins ) N‑COUNT A shoo-in is a person or thing that seems sure to succeed. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ] □ Ms Brown is still no shoo-in for the November election.
shook /ʃʊ k/ Shook is the past tense of shake .
shoot ◆◆◇ /ʃuː t/ (shoots , shooting , shot )
1 VERB If someone shoots a person or an animal, they kill them or injure them by firing a bullet or arrow at them. □ [V n] The police had orders to shoot anyone who attacked them. □ [be V -ed with adj] The man was shot dead by the police during a raid on his house. □ [V n + in ] Her father shot himself in the head with a shotgun.
2 VERB To shoot means to fire a bullet from a weapon such as a gun. □ [V ] He taunted armed officers by pointing to his head, as if inviting them to shoot. □ [V + at ] The police came around the corner and they started shooting at us. □ [V adv/prep] She had never been able to shoot straight.
3 VERB If someone or something shoots in a particular direction, they move in that direction quickly and suddenly. □ [V adv/prep] They had almost reached the boat when a figure shot past them.
4 VERB If you shoot something somewhere or if it shoots somewhere, it moves there quickly and suddenly. □ [V n prep/adv] Masters shot a hand across the table and gripped his wrist. □ [V adv/prep] You'd turn on the water, and it would shoot straight up in the air.
5 VERB If you shoot a look at someone, you look at them quickly and briefly, often in a way that expresses your feelings. □ [V n n] Mary Ann shot him a rueful look. □ [V n + at ] The man in the black overcoat shot a penetrating look at the other man.
6 VERB If someone shoots to fame, they become famous or successful very quickly. □ [V + to ] She shot to fame a few years ago with her extraordinary first novel.
7 VERB When people shoot a film or shoot photographs, they make a film or take photographs using a camera. □ [V n] He'd love to shoot his film in Cuba. ● N‑COUNT Shoot is also a noun. □ …a barn presently being used for a video shoot.
8 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Shoots are plants that are beginning to grow, or new parts growing from a plant or tree.
9 VERB In sports such as football or basketball, when someone shoots , they try to score by kicking, throwing, or hitting the ball towards the goal. □ [V adv/prep] Spencer scuttled away from Young to shoot wide when he should have scored. [Also V , V n]
10 → see also shooting , shot
11 PHRASE If you shoot the breeze or shoot the bull with someone, you talk to them about things which are not very serious or important. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ] □ [+ with ] They expected me to sit up and shoot the breeze with them till one or two in the morning. □ I also met with Pollack again to kind of shoot the bull.
12 to shoot from the hip → see hip
▸ shoot down
1 PHRASAL VERB If someone shoots down an aeroplane, a helicopter, or a missile, they make it fall to the ground by hitting it with a bullet or missile. □ [V P n] They claimed to have shot down one incoming missile. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If one person shoots down another, they shoot them with a gun. □ [V P n] He was prepared to suppress rebellion by shooting down protesters. □ [V n P ] They shot him down in cold blood.