Meanings
- uncountablebiologyA DNA sequencing technique in which a large number of small fragments of a long DNA strand are generated at random, sequenced, and reassembled to form a sequence of the original strand.
In shotgun sequencing of genomic DNA, fragments of a genome are sequenced and computationally reassembled to determine the genome of an organism
2005, Selene K Swanson with Michael P. Washburn, “The continuing evolution of shotgun proteomics”, in Drug Discovery Today, →DOI, page 719Synonyms: shotgun cloning
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA DNA sequencing technique in which a large number of small fragments of a long DNA strand are generated at random, sequenced, and reassembled to form a sequence of the original strand.
Origin
Formed through analogy with the effect of a shotgun blast, which contains many small pellets.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese 鸟枪法
- 鸟枪法 (niǎoqiāngfǎ)DNA sequencing technique
Korean 샷건 시퀀싱
- 샷건 시퀀싱 (syatgeon sikwonsing)DNA sequencing technique
Cite this entry
shotgun sequencing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shotgun%20sequencing
“shotgun sequencing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shotgun%20sequencing. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shotgun sequencing,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shotgun%20sequencing.
Source: shotgun sequencing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.