Link Centre Dictionary

potshot

pots·hot

US/ˈpɑˌʃɑt/ uncommon obsolete slang

noun

1.

a shot taken at an easy or casual target (as by a pothunter)

2.

criticism aimed at an easy target and made without careful consideration

  • “reporters took potshots at the mayor”

Origin

From pot + shot. 1858, shot taken for the (cooking) pot, namely for food; see pothunter. Sense “opportunistic criticism” from 1926. Sense “drunk” from obsolete pot (“cup used for drinking liquor”).

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.