pistol

noun

pis·​tol ˈpi-stᵊl 

1

: a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel

broadly : handgun

2

: a notably sharp, spirited, or energetic person

pistol transitive verb

Synonyms of pistol

• dynamo

Examples of pistol in a Sentence

a real pistol, she dances rings around the other performers

Recent Examples on the Web

He was sentenced to two years of felony probation for having a pistol equipped with an auto sear switch, according to court records. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026

Inside the recording room, Pooh Shiesty allegedly pulled an AK-style pistol and forced Gucci Mane, described in the criminal complaint as the head of record label 1017 Records, to sign paperwork releasing him from his contract at gunpoint. —Sergio Candido, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026

On the exterior of a white-walled building with a curving roof—a production facility where steel parts for the company’s eponymous pistol are manufactured—hung an enormous billboard. —Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026

Zangara, who had purchased the pistol for $8 at a local pawnshop, mingled among a record crowd of 25,000 people who had come to catch a glimpse of the famed FDR. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French pistole, from German, from Middle High German pischulle, from Czech píšt'ala, literally, pipe, fife; akin to Czech pištět to squeak

First Known Use

circa 1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pistol

• machine pistol
• pistol grip
• pistol-whip
• Very pistol
• water pistol

Rhymes for pistol

• distal
• pistil
• polycrystal

Kids 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"