Definition of pistol
1 : a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel; broadly : handgun
2 : a notably sharp, spirited, or energetic person
pistol
transitive verbFrom the M-W Editors
Examples of pistol in a Sentence
a real pistol, she dances rings around the other performers
Recent Examples of pistol from the Web
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ON JULY 5th, independence day, a pro-government mob armed with sticks, metal poles and pistols charged into Venezuela’s golden-domed national assembly building and beat up parliamentarians.
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A third charge of possession with the intent to distribute heroin stems from Pearson being found in possession of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and the H & K .40-caliber pistol, as well as other drug paraphernalia, following a traffic stop.
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Edwards remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail on charges of murder, carrying a pistol without a permit and tampering with physical evidence.
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The store manager pulled out a pistol and the suspect backed up and shot the manager in the arm before fleeing, said Dolton Police Chief Robert Collins.
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Every day, a guy came in and taught us how to use pistols, Kalashnikovs or suicide belts.
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After the roof is completed, the company gives each customer a voucher that can be redeemed for either an AR-15, a pistol, a hunting rifle or a $500 gift card good at Cypress Creek Indoor Range in Florence.
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Operating mostly from shotgun or pistol formations and in a read-option rushing attack, Jackson passed for 3,543 yards and 30 touchdowns with nine interceptions and ran for 1,571 yards and 21 touchdowns.
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The fugitives then locked up 31 other inmates and jumped out with the guards’ 9 mm Glock pistols, carjacking a driver who happened to pull up behind them.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pistol.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of pistol
Middle French pistole, from German, from Middle High German pischulle, from Czech píšt'ala, literally, pipe, fife; akin to Czech pištět to squeak
PISTOL Defined for English Language Learners
pistol
playDefinition of pistol for English Language Learners
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: a small gun made to be aimed and fired with one hand
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: a person who has a lot of energy and spirit
PISTOL Defined for Kids
pistol
playDefinition of pistol for Students
: a small gun made to be aimed and fired with one hand
Learn More about pistol
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See words that rhyme with pistol Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pistol Spanish Central: Translation of pistol Nglish: Translation of pistol for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pistol for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pistol
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