pistol grip

American  

noun

1. a handle or grip, as of a rifle or saw, shaped like the butt of a pistol.

---

pistol grip British  

noun

1. 1. a handle shaped like the butt of a pistol

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pistol-grip camera

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pistol-grip
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pistol grip

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

The pistol grip is useful, she said, because it allows officers to retain a Taser in their hand if someone tries to disarm them.

From Fox News • Dec. 9, 2021

The product description for that tactical pistol grip illustrates one common way sellers are able to skirt EBay’s prohibitions.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2019

It’s got a long barrel, a pistol grip, an aluminum stock, vented “rails” along the barrel and the kind of scope used in the review of the Scorpio by Tactical Life.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2019

The rifle stuck bayonet down, the helmet set atop the butt stock, the dog tags draped on the pistol grip, the boots placed on the ground.

From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2012

I held the pistol grip firmly for a few seconds, first in my right hand, then my left.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline