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sharpshooter

/ˌʃɑrpˈʃudər/
IPA guide

Other forms: sharpshooters

If you know someone who is a crack shot with her rifle at target practice, you can call her a sharpshooter.

Annie Oakley, the fabled markswoman of the Wild West, is a perfect example of a sharpshooter. The sharp bit is a bit of a stretch, but it is presumed to refer to the marksperson's eye; sharpshooter comes to us as a direct translation of the German Scharfschütz. Today the terms sharpshooter, marksman, and sniper tend to be used interchangeably.

Definitions of sharpshooter
  1. noun
    someone skilled in shooting
    synonyms: crack shot, marksman
    see moresee less
    examples:
    Annie Oakley
    United States sharpshooter who was featured in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show (1860-1926)
    types:
    deadeye
    a dead shot
    franc-tireur
    a sharpshooter (in the French army)
    rifleman
    someone skilled in the use of a rifle
    sniper
    a marksman who shoots at people from a concealed place
    type of:
    shooter, shot
    a person who shoots (usually with respect to their ability to shoot)
  2. noun
    an athlete noted for accurate aim
    see moresee less
    type of:
    athlete, jock
    a person trained to compete in sports
  3. noun
    a fast schooner once used by New England fisherman for illegal fishing in Canadian waters
    see moresee less
    type of:
    schooner
    sailing vessel used in former times
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘sharpshooter'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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