- shotgun wedding
- A slang term for a wedding under duress of threatened prosecution for seduction or bastardy.
Ballentine's law dictionary. Anderson, W.S.. 1998.
shotgun wedding
Look at other dictionaries:
shotgun wedding — n a wedding that has to take place immediately because the woman is going to have a baby … Dictionary of contemporary English
shotgun wedding — noun count a wedding that happens suddenly, because the woman is pregnant … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
shotgun wedding — ☆ shotgun wedding n. a wedding into which one or both partners are forced, as because of previous sexual intimacy or, esp., pregnancy … English World dictionary
shotgun wedding — noun see shotgun marriage * * * 1. a wedding occasioned or precipitated by pregnancy. 2. Informal. a compromise, merger, accord, etc., occasioned by necessity: The coalition government was obviously a shotgun wedding. Also, shotgun marriage.… … Useful english dictionary
Shotgun wedding — A shotgun wedding is a wedding that is arranged to avoid embarrassment due to an unplanned pregnancy, rather than out of the desire of the participants. The phrase is an American colloquialism, though it is also used in other parts of the world,… … Wikipedia
shotgun wedding — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms shotgun wedding : singular shotgun wedding plural shotgun weddings informal old fashioned a wedding that happens suddenly, because the woman is pregnant … English dictionary
shotgun wedding — 1. a wedding occasioned or precipitated by pregnancy. 2. Informal. a compromise, merger, accord, etc., occasioned by necessity: The coalition government was obviously a shotgun wedding. Also, shotgun marriage. [1925 30, Amer.] * * * … Universalium
shotgun wedding — n. a forced wedding, presumably because the bride is pregnant. □ It was a shotgun wedding, but they sure are in love. □ I thought shotgun weddings went out with feuds and things like that … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
shotgun wedding — np A wedding forced by pregnancy. The marriage didn t last because it started out in a shotgun wedding. 1930s … Historical dictionary of American slang
shotgun wedding — noun a) A wedding in which the bride is already pregnant. b) Any similarly reputedly forced partnership, between people or organizations. See Also: shotgun marriage … Wiktionary
shotgun wedding — /ʃɒtgʌn ˈwɛdɪŋ/ (say shotgun weding) noun a wedding hastened or forced by the pregnancy of the bride. {US English (1920s) …
