pistol
Americannoun
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a short firearm intended to be held and fired with one hand.
verb (used with object)
-
to shoot with a pistol.
noun
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a short-barrelled handgun
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to threaten a person in order to force him to do what one wants
verb
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(tr) to shoot with a pistol
Other Word Forms
- pistollike adjective
Etymology
Origin of pistol
1560–70; < Middle French pistole < German, earlier pitschal, pitschole, petsole < Czech píšt’ala literally, pipe, fife, whistle (presumably a slang term for a type of light harquebus employed during the Hussite wars), akin to pištět to squeak, peep
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He was carrying an assault weapon, a pistol and the equivalent of nearly $1.4 million on him when he died, Trevilla added.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
Eliminated exams include “Judgment pistol shooting,” “Criminal encounters,” and “Determine removability.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
On a recent visit, workers assembled shotguns and manufactured pistol and rifle barrels amid the searing sound of metal being cut.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
The images also showed that the person was carrying a holstered pistol.
From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026
According to the newspapers, the Remington single-action is the gunslinger’s pistol of choice, which makes it even more ace.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.