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
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.
Pistol Pete was a seven-time champion at the All England Club.
From BBC • Jul. 25, 2025
At least two hours have gone by in the Pistol 101 class, and no student has fired a bullet or even picked up a gun.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2024
Pistol Pete played for LSU from 1967-70 and, like Woodard, in the era preceding the 3-point shot.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2024
"An untrained response in the event of a subjective sense of danger is liable to bring about the needless death of innocents," said an Israeli advocate group called "Pistol on the Kitchen Table".
From Reuters • Oct. 26, 2023
We’d eat graveyard snow cones—lime, orange, grape, cherry mixed together—and pacos from the Crystal Pistol booth—seasoned beef in a cocoon of hot fry bread, the orange grease squirting and burning the insides of our cheeks.
From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth
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.
