pistol
[ pis-tl ]
/ ˈpɪs tl /
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noun
a short firearm intended to be held and fired with one hand.
verb (used with object), pis·toled, pis·tol·ing or (especially British) pis·tolled, pis·tol·ling.
to shoot with a pistol.
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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
OTHER WORDS FROM pistol
pis·tol·like, adjectiveWords nearby pistol
pistareen, piste, pistil, pistillate, Pistoia, pistol, pistole, pistoleer, pistolero, pistol grip, pistol-handle knife
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for pistol
pistol
/ (ˈpɪstəl) /
noun
a short-barrelled handgun
hold a pistol to a person's head to threaten a person in order to force him to do what one wants
verb -tols, -tolling or -tolled or US -tols, -toling or -toled
(tr) to shoot with a pistol
Word Origin for pistol
C16: from French pistole, from German, from Czech pišt'ala pistol, pipe; related to Russian pischal shepherd's pipes
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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