A fatal shot or killing blow; a shot that causes immediate death.
From 'death' plus 'shot' (Old English scot, meaning 'a throw' or 'projectile'). Used historically in hunting and military contexts to describe a marksman's accurate, lethal shot.
In hunting and archery traditions, a 'deathshot' was considered the mark of a skilled hunter—one clean, instant kill rather than a wounded animal suffering. It's ethical killing wrapped in a grim word.
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