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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. a handle shaped like the butt of a pistol

    2. ( as modifier )

      a pistol-grip camera

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of pistol grip

First recorded in 1870–75


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.

See Examples For:

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

Viewers in a handful of specially equipped theaters used a pistol grip attached to each seat to collectively vote on dozens of scene variations.

From New York Times ● Dec. 28, 2018

Inside were two photographs: One was a .45 caliber pistol shot in profile, showing the barrel, trigger, and wooden pistol grip, into which a Jefferson nickel had been embedded.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2018

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

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