Shot

(shot.) (Mil., dc.) A general name for any mi ile discharged from cannon and firearms of all kinds. S. used in war is of various kinds: as 1, round S. or balls, those for cannon made of iron, those for muskets and pistols, of lead; 2, double-headed S. or bar S., consisting of a bar with a round head at each end: 3, chain-S., being two balls fastened together by a chain; 4, grapeS., consisting of a number of balls bound together with acord in canvas on an iron bottom; 5, case-S. or canister-S., by which is meant a great number of small bullets enclosed in a cylindrical tin box; 6, lang rel or lang rage, which consists of pieces of iron of any kind. Musket-balls are called small S.; and those small globular ma es of lead used by sportsmen in killing birds and other small game are known by the name of S., of different numbers according to their size. In the manufacturing of this, the liquid metal is allowed to fall like rain from a great elevation into water, and the cohesive principle gives rotundity to the drops. In their descent they become truly globular, and before they reach the end of their fall are hardened by cooling. S. of a Cable. (Naut.) The splicing of two cables together, or the two cables so united; thus, it is said, a ship will ride easier in deep water with one S. of cable thus lengthened than with three short cables. [s. 823]