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# shotgun wedding

phrase (noun phrase; a shotgun wedding, shotgun weddings)

«shotgun wedding» in the English dictionary: in the primary school — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## In the primary school

Source: Mova's pupils' dictionary. Licence: [Elamur Cosmic License](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/LICENSE/). Reviewed: the dictionary the pupils of Mova's primary school read; its examples quote the lessons and public-domain tales. Ships with Mova.

### Meaning

1. (humorous, euphemism) a wedding arranged quickly because the bride is expecting a baby.
2. (figurative) any deal or union made in a hurry under pressure, as when two companies must join.

### In the lessons

Used in jokes and gossip; the old picture is of a father with a gun making the man marry. Humorous, all regions. Can be unkind about a real couple.

### Examples

- Gran's sister had a shotgun wedding, and the baby came soon after.
- The merger of the two banks was a shotgun wedding.
- "Was it a shotgun wedding?" the nosy neighbour asked.
- In old cowboy films, the farmer with a gun forces a shotgun wedding.
- The two clubs joined in a shotgun wedding to avoid closing.
- It sounds dangerous but there is usually no gun at all.

### Note

Do not take it literally; no shotgun is used. It hints at a pregnancy; it is gossip, so be careful saying it about real people.