shot across the bow
A warning that negative consequences will be faced if something is carried out or…A warning that negative consequences will be faced if something is carried out or allowed to continue.
» Fire a warning shot across their bow.
Eccles17 · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
1 senses(idiomatic)A warning that negative consequences will be faced if something is carried out or allowed to continue.
Schuss vor den Bug
предупреди́тельный вы́стрелpredupredítelʹnyj výstrel
Examples
3 sentencesFire a warning shot across their bow.
Tom is a crack shot with a bow.
ruТом метко стреляет из лука. — nina99nv
A word that slips from the tongue so fast, Is like an arrow shot from the bow at last.
Translations
2 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From the naval tactic of firing a warning shot across the bow or front portion of a ship iFrom the naval tactic of firing a warning shot across the bow or front portion of a ship in order to force it to stop or alter its course.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: shots across the bow| Singular | shot across the bow |
|---|---|
| Plural | shots across the bow |
irregular · Lesson
Synonyms
1 synonymsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular