pistol

American  

[pis-tl] / ˈpɪs tl /

noun

1. a short firearm intended to be held and fired with one hand.

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verb (used with object)

pistoled, pistoling, pistolled, pistolling

1. to shoot with a pistol.

pistol British  

/ ˈpɪstəl /

noun

1. a short-barrelled handgun

2. to threaten a person in order to force him to do what one wants

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verb

1. (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

Compare meaning

How does pistol compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• revolver vs. pistol

Example Sentences

Now 53, he goes on regular hunting trips - often shooting deer in Victoria's high country - and competes in pistol shooting events six times a year.

From BBC

He maintained during his trial that his two crossbows were "purely for sport" and that two pistols were the kind "commonly used in fairgrounds".

From BBC

This strange customer, known as the Scot, wears a kilt and carries a chrome-plated pistol.

From The Wall Street Journal

Everyone’s got a device in their hand pretty much all the time, aiming their cameras at each other like pistols in a Wild West standoff.

From Los Angeles Times

Clay’s outspokenness put his life at constant risk; he traveled with a set of pistols and a Bowie knife strapped to his chest.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• firearm
• gun
• handgun
• rod