noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of revolver
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How does revolver compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A revolver is a gun that can be held in one hand and has a revolving cylinder. Most revolvers can fire six bullets without being reloaded. You can also call a revolver a pistol or a handgun or even a six-shooter. This last nickname comes from the fact that many revolvers have six chambers for bullets in their revolving cylinders. Originally, they were called revolving guns, but the man who invented them, Samuel Colt, preferred the briefer revolver, and it caught on.
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.
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Those handing over a revolver, for example, will be paid AUS$1,000, while an air rifle will fetch AUS$450.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
He was known to both the Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department, law enforcement sources told CBS, and used a revolver.
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
The shots Gogarty fired from a revolver above the sleeping Joyce’s head sounded the prelude to Joyce’s exile.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Hutchins was conversing with Baldwin to set up a camera angle that Hutchins wanted to depict: a close-up image of the barrel of Baldwin’s revolver.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
He paused and then went on: "Did you happen to bring a revolver along with you, doctor?"
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
By arming her mammies with revolvers, rifles and bullets, Saar turned a symbol of servility into one of militancy and power.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Typically, the first segment to mature involves revolving debt but borrowers seek to refinance longer-dated credits alongside revolvers, Moody’s said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025
Only 9-mm pistols and 38-caliber revolvers are authorized for civilian use under the decree.
From Reuters ● May 30, 2023
While the men huff around with revolvers, the women have embraced the model of the old “Road to … ” series with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.
From New York Times ● May 11, 2023
Jesper whirled, revolvers raised, as a shape sprang into his peripheral vision, but it was just Kaz.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
