Definitions for pistol
ˈpɪs tlpis·tol

Princeton's WordNet(4.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pistol, handgun, side arm, shooting ironnoun

   a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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 Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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.

Wikipedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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 Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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 Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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 Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pistol

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

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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 Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pistol

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

Etymology and Origins(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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. Garland Police Chief Jeff Bryan:

   The gun used in this incident was a 40-caliber pistol. It had an extended magazine, we know Garland Police Chief Jeff Bryan fired at least 20 rounds because we found the shell casings.

2. Simms:

   The proverb answers where the sermon fails, as a well-charged pistol will do more execution than a whole barrel of gunpowder idly exploded in the air.

3. Marcus Arbery Sr.:

   Anytime you pursue a young man, go jump in a truck with shotguns and a pistol ... and you follow him and slaughter him like that, that's lynching.

4. Brian Williams:

   That wasn’t a bad job, until a guy came up and stuck a .38-caliber pistol in my face and made me hand over all the money. Merry Christmas, right? Of course, I suddenly appreciated the other jobs I thought I hated.

5. Raymond Schrump:

   They put a pistol to my head and I thought I was going to being executed right there on the spot, all I could think about was my family.

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