1
: a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel
broadly
: handgun
2
: a notably sharp, spirited, or energetic person
pistol
transitive verb
Examples of pistol in a Sentence
a real pistol, she dances rings around the other performers
Recent Examples on the Web
Murder on Music Row A young man ran for his life on 16th Avenue South, chased by a nightmarish figure with a blue steel pistol, a black ski mask and a strange side-to-side limp.
—
Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024
The botanist is played to the hilt by Lesley Manville (also unrecognizable), feral and ferocious, packing a pistol lest anyone try to make off with her precious research material.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024
After allegedly firing a pistol at them, Campbell reportedly ran to a nearby barber college and went inside.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2024
In the trash can, police recovered a Radical Firearms AR pistol and a Beretta 9mm semi-automatic handgun, which was previously reported stolen out of Shelbyville.
—Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pistol 
Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024
The botanist is played to the hilt by Lesley Manville (also unrecognizable), feral and ferocious, packing a pistol lest anyone try to make off with her precious research material.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024
After allegedly firing a pistol at them, Campbell reportedly ran to a nearby barber college and went inside.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2024
In the trash can, police recovered a Radical Firearms AR pistol and a Beretta 9mm semi-automatic handgun, which was previously reported stolen out of Shelbyville.
—Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pistol
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pistol.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pistol
Cite this Entry
“Pistol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pistol. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pistol
noun
pis·tol
ˈpis-tᵊl 
: a short firearm made to be aimed and fired with one hand
Etymology
from early French pistole "pistol," from German pistole (same meaning), derived from Czech píšt'ala, literally, "pipe, fife"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share