shot caller

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Someone in charge, especially the leader of a street gang.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

'Cause I'm the creepy crawler that be crawling your walls / And I'm the shot caller when it comes to shot calls

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A prison inmate who holds informal authority over other inmates and who masterminds criminal activity.

Register: slang

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “shot caller” mean?

Someone in charge, especially the leader of a street gang.

Is “shot caller” formal or informal?

shot caller is generally slang.