Definitions for pistol
ˈpɪs tlpis·tol

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.5 / 2 votes

1. pistol, handgun, side arm, shooting ironnoun

   a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pistolnoun

   A handgun, with a chamber integrated in the barrel, a semi-automatic action and a box magazine.

2. pistolnoun

   The mechanical component of a fuse in a bomb or torpedo responsible for firing the detonator.

3. pistolnoun

   A creative and unpredictable jokester, a constant source of entertainment and surprises.

4. pistolnoun

   A small boy who is bright, alert and very active.

5. pistolnoun

   A play formation in which the quarterback is a few feet behind the center when the ball is snapped, but closer than in a shotgun formation, with a running back a few feet behind him.

6. pistolverb

   To shoot (at) a target with a pistol.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pistolnoun

   A small handgun.

   Etymology: pistole, pistolet, Fr.

   Three watch the door with pistols, that none should issue out. William Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor.

   The whole body of the horse passed within pistol-shot of the cottage. Edward Hyde, b. viii.

   Quicksilver discharged from a pistol will hardly pierce through a parchment. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.

   A woman had a tubercle in the great canthus of the eye, of the bigness of a pistol-bullet. Richard Wiseman, Surgery.

2. To Pistolverb

   To shoot with a pistol.

   Etymology: pistoler, Fr.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pistol

   A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in ca. 1570 – when early handguns were produced in Europe and is derived from the Middle French pistolet (ca. 1550), meaning a small gun or knife. In colloquial usage, the word "pistol" is often used to describe any type of handgun, inclusive of revolvers (which have a single barrel and a separate cylinder housing multiple chambers) and the pocket-sized derringers (which are often multi-barrelled). The most common type of pistol used in the contemporary era is the semi-automatic pistol, while the older single-shot and manual repeating pistols are now rarely seen and used primarily for nostalgic hunting and historical reenactment, and the fully automatic machine pistols are uncommon in civilian usage due to generally poor recoil-controllability and strict laws and regulations governing their manufacture and sale.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pistol

   A pistol is a small firearm designed to be held and operated with one hand. It generally has a short barrel and uses a chamber integral with the gun's barrel as compared to a revolver, which has a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers. Pistols are typically used for short range shooting and self-defense. They can range in size, caliber, and capacity, and have various operating mechanisms, such as semi-automatic or single-shot.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pistolnoun

   the smallest firearm used, intended to be fired from one hand, -- now of many patterns, and bearing a great variety of names. See Illust. of Revolver

2. Pistolverb

   to shoot with a pistol

3. Etymology: [F. pistole, pistolet, It. pistola; prob. from a form Pistola, for Pistoja, a town in Italy where pistols were first made. Cf. Pistole.]

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pistol

   pis′tol, n. a small hand-gun, held in one hand when fired.—v.t. to shoot with a pistol.—ns. Pistoleer′, one armed with a pistol; Pis′tolet, a little pistol; Pis′tol-shot. [O. Fr. pistole—It. pistola, said to be from Pistoja (orig. Pistola), a town in Italy.]

The New Hacker's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pistol

   [IBM] A tool that makes it all too easy for you to shoot yourself in the foot. “Unix rm * makes such a nice pistol!”

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pistol

   An old word for a swaggering rogue; hence Shakspeare's character in Henry V.

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pistol

   Is the smallest description of fire-arm, and is intended to be used with one hand only. Pistols were first used by the cavalry of England about 1544. They vary in size from the delicate saloon-pistol, often not 6 inches long, to the horse-pistol, which may measure 18 inches, and sometimes even 2 feet. They are carried in holsters at the saddle-bow, in the belt, or in the pocket. Every cavalry soldier should have pistols, for a fire-arm is often of great service for personal defense, and almost indispensable in giving an alarm or signal. Of late years pistols have been made with revolving cylinder breeches, in which are formed several chambers for receiving cartridges, and bringing them in succession into a line with the barrel ready for firing. See Revolvers.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pistol

   Song lyrics by pistol -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by pistol on the Lyrics.com website.

Etymology and OriginsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pistol

   From Pistoja in Italy, where this kind of small firearm was first introduced in 1545.

Anagrams for pistol »

1. pilots

2. postil

3. sploit

4. spoilt

How to pronounce pistol?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say pistol in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of pistol in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of pistol in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of pistol in a Sentence

1. Kurt Vonnegut:

   If somebody says, I love you, to me, I feel as though I had a pistol pointed at my head. What can anybody reply under such conditions but that which the pistol-holder requires? I love you, too.

2. Kyle Aspinwall:

   I'm observing what appears to be a firearm, specifically a pistol, in my opinion, the firearm shown in the video stills is a Glock pistol.

3. Joe Argueta:

   One male was armed with a baseball bat and the other male with a pistol. When Dodge Challenger attempted to flee, the male with the pistol fired multiple gunshots at the passenger side of Dodge Challenger.

4. J. G. Ballard:

   I thought it was a wonderfully conceptual act actually, to fire a replica pistol at a figurehead -- the guy could have been working for Andy Warhol!

5. David Katz:

   Give me an hour, I'll tell you how to hold a pistol and look professional, you may not be able to really shoot, but you'll be able to look professional when you're holding that pistol -- but I wouldn't trust you to check it and verify the status. Not unless you're trained a little better.

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