pistol
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a short-barrelled handgun
-
to threaten a person in order to force him to do what one wants
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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
Compare meaning
How does pistol compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A pistol is a small handgun. Unlike a shotgun or a rifle, you can hold and fire a pistol with one hand. Sometimes the word pistol is used for any handgun, but many people distinguish between the pistol, with its single chamber, and the revolver, which has a cylinder that rotates and holds many bullets. The earliest pistols were used in sixteenth century Europe, and the English word comes from the Middle French pistolet, meaning both "small firearm" and "small dagger." You can also call someone who's full of energy a pistol.
Vocabulary lists containing pistol
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.
Investigators obtained camera footage from the shop showing a young man emerging after buying the gun, a Taurus 9 mm pistol, to make a call on his cellphone.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
“I love physical challenges. I’ve had to learn how to sword fight, ice skate, shoot a pistol, taekwondo, horseback riding. It’s like practicing to be this other person, and it kind of rubs off.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
The pistol was purchased in October 2023, the shotgun in August 2025, they said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
Cantwell said that when he flew an F-16 jet, he also carried a pistol.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
He concluded, as earlier investigators had, that the bullet must have come from a small-caliber gun—a .32 or perhaps a .38 pistol.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
