shoot-down
UK[ˈʃuːt daʊn]US[ˈʃuːt daʊn]
v
to cause an aircraft or missile to fall to the ground by hitting it with a bullet, rocket, or other weapon
v
to reject or dismiss a proposal, idea, or person in a forceful or decisive manner
Morpheme Breakdown
shoot
down
shoot
to fire a projectile
down
to a lower position
Etymology
the compound verb 'shoot-down' is a transparent combination of two old english elements. the first, 'shoot', originates from the proto-germanic verb skeutaną, carrying the core sense of rapid propulsion or projection. the second, 'down', derives from the old english adverbial phrase 'of dūne', meaning 'from the hill'. when combined, the literal action of causing something to fall from the sky by projectile force is clear. this concrete military sense, emerging in the 20th century, was later metaphorically extended to describe the forceful rejection of non-physical targets, such as arguments or proposals, effectively 'bringing them low'.
Analysis
Structure: shoot (to fire a projectile) + down (to a lower position)
shoot (from old english scēotan, meaning to project, launch, dart; a verb of action). down (from old english dūne, a shortened form of adūne, meaning from a higher to a lower level; an adverbial particle).
Examples
the fighter jet was ordered to shoot down the unidentified drone.
the committee is likely to shoot down the controversial budget plan.
during the debate, she managed to shoot down every one of his points with factual evidence.