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
Investigators also found eight 9 mm casings fired from a Glock pistol at the scene where Holmes was killed, according to the affidavit.
—
Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2026
The vehicle begins to move forward and, at the same time, a third officer who had approached the vehicle pulls out his pistol and points it at the woman while moving away from the front of the car.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
Another agent, who had been standing up the road from the woman’s vehicle, walks up to the front of the car and draws his pistol and quickly fires toward the car’s windshield as the vehicle begins moving forward at him, according to videos.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
There were some frightening moments early Monday for a Miramar man after police say he was pistol whipped during a home invasion and his French bulldog was stolen.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pistol
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Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2026
The vehicle begins to move forward and, at the same time, a third officer who had approached the vehicle pulls out his pistol and points it at the woman while moving away from the front of the car.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
Another agent, who had been standing up the road from the woman’s vehicle, walks up to the front of the car and draws his pistol and quickly fires toward the car’s windshield as the vehicle begins moving forward at him, according to videos.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
There were some frightening moments early Monday for a Miramar man after police say he was pistol whipped during a home invasion and his French bulldog was stolen.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pistol
Cite this Entry
“Pistol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pistol. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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"
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