scattershot

Scattershot is a term with two principal senses in English: a firearms-related term and a figurative descriptor for unfocused or broad-ranging activity.

In firearms, scattershot denotes shotgun ammunition whose projectiles are designed to spread outward after firing. The pattern created by the pellets expands with distance, producing a broad impact area at close range. The degree of spread depends on factors such as shotgun gauge, the choke and barrel length, the type of shot (birdshot, buckshot, etc.), and the distance to the target. Scattershot ammunition is effective for hitting moving targets at short range and for some hunting situations, but accuracy diminishes at longer ranges as pellets diverge.

In figurative use, scattershot describes actions, attempts, or information that is dispersed, inconsistent, or non-targeted. A scattershot approach to a problem, for example, implies collecting many disparate ideas or sources without a clear, unified strategy. The term can appear as an adjective or a noun, and it is sometimes hyphenated as scatter-shot in older writing, though scattershot as a closed compound is common in contemporary usage.

Etymology: the word combines scatter, meaning to disperse, with shot, referencing the pellets fired from a shotgun. The expression conveys the idea of spreading elements broadly rather than concentrating them.

See also: shotgun, pellet, buckshot, birdshot, choke (firearms), shotgun pattern, scattershot approach.