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
The post included a photo of a teen carrying a realistic-looking toy pistol, which was captured by a doorbell camera in 2024, said Ziggy Azarcon, public information officer with the Irvine Police Department.
—
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
That description matched the physical profile of one of the IDOC officers, who had a semiautomatic pistol, according to Naugle.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 20 Feb. 2026
Authorities accuse Richard Willis of knowing that his son knew that his pistol was kept in the fanny pack and did not safely secure the weapon.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
The legislation was advanced after an Indian River County Sheriff’s Office corporal in July was shot in the leg when his service pistol, a Sig Sauer P320, discharged while still in its holster.
—News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pistol
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
That description matched the physical profile of one of the IDOC officers, who had a semiautomatic pistol, according to Naugle.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 20 Feb. 2026
Authorities accuse Richard Willis of knowing that his son knew that his pistol was kept in the fanny pack and did not safely secure the weapon.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
The legislation was advanced after an Indian River County Sheriff’s Office corporal in July was shot in the leg when his service pistol, a Sig Sauer P320, discharged while still in its holster.
—News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 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 24 Feb. 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"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
