shoot blanks en · VERB
Etymology
Likening the ejaculation of semen to bullets from a gun, as in ejaculating but no semen comes out; see blank (“cartridge that simulates gunfire”).
Meanings
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see shoot, blanks.
- (colloquial, of a male) To be sterile.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| shoots blanks | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| shooting blanks | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| shot blanks | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| shot blanks | Tense=Past | lexicographic |