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

She was shot to death about 12 hours after police raided Gilbert’s home and found the pistol used to kill Stevenson, according to court filings. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 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

Oakland Police Department The searches also yielded six dirt bikes, one vehicle, two semiautomatic pistols and an assault rifle. —Tim Fang, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026

Seeking to strengthen the state’s gun laws, a key legislative committee voted Tuesday to ban pistols that can be converted easily into automatic machine guns. —Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 25 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"