foreshot

English

Etymology

From fore- +‎ shot.

Noun

foreshot (plural foreshots)

1. The spirits that first come over when an alcoholic liquid is distilled
2. (chiefly sports) A shot that sends something forewards, such as a shot that sends the ball ahead the player making it.

   Foreshots knock the ball forward.

3. A measurement of the azimuth when sighting to the next point along a path that is being measured with a compass.
   • 1997, Proceedings of the Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, volume 2:

     Twelve foreshot and twelve backshot records at varying offsets were acquired for each geophone setup to achieve 24 fold duplicity.

4. (architecture) A portion of a building that protrudes out.
5. (photography or cinematography) The foreground of a photographic image.
   • 2013, Hannah Hooton, Giving Chase, →ISBN, page 122:

     It was obviously an Aspen Valley resident because she recognised the stabling in the background, but the tall dark bay horse in the foreshot didn't look familiar.

Verb

foreshot

1. simple past and past participle of foreshoot

Coordinate terms

• midshot, backshot

References

• OED 2nd edition (online)