noun
pistol
PIHS-tuhl
noun
1
A small handgun designed to be fired with one hand.
"The officer kept his pistol holstered while questioning the suspect."
verb
1
To shoot someone or something with a pistol.
"He was pistoled in a dispute outside the bar."
How to Use Pistol
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small handheld firearm.
Common pairings
draw a pistol
fire a pistol
pistol whip
Word Forms
pistoled past tense, pistolled past tense, pistols plural, pistols singular
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The officer kept his _____ holstered while questioning the suspect.
Etymology
Probably from Middle French pistole or pistolet ("small firearm or dagger"); the exact chain is uncertain, with theories tracing it either through German and Czech píšťala ("pipe, firearm") or from Italian pistolese, linked to the gunsmithing town of Pistoia.