English Explanatory Dictionary

pistol

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A handgun
  2. The type of handgun with the chamber integral with the barrel.
  3. The mechanical component of a fuse in a bomb or torpedo responsible for firing the detonator.
  4. A lively, high-energy person.
  5. An offensive formation in which the quarterback receives the snap at a distance behind the center, but closer than in a shotgun formation, with a running back lined up behind him.
verb
  1. To shoot (at) a target with a pistol.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɪstəl/ [ˈpɪstəl] ~ [ˈpɪstl̩] en-us-pistol.ogg

Word forms

pistol pistols pistoling pistolling pistoled pistolled

Etymology

Probably from Middle French pistole, or via Middle English pistolet, from Middle French pistolet (“small firearm or small dagger”). The origin is unclear. If via German to Romance probably from Middle High German forms like pischulle from Czech píšťala (“firearm”, literally “tube, pipe”), from Proto-Slavic *piščalь, from *piskati, *piščati (“to squeak, whistle”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *pīṣk-. Alternatively, if from Romance to German, from or related to Italian pistolese (“short dagger”), from Italian Pistoia (“a Tuscan town noted for its gunsmithing”).

Related words

derringer pistole gat rod

Derived words

air pistol autopistol bepistoled cap pistol cap-pistol captive bolt pistol dueling pistol duelling pistol horse pistol hot as a pistol hotter than a pistol hotter than a two dollar pistol machine pistol monkey's pistol muff pistol pistol carbine pistolcraft pistoleer pistol furniture pistolgram pistolgraph pistolgraphy pistol grip pistollike pistolman pistol pipe pistol shrimp pistol squat Pistolvania pistol-whip pistolwise pocket pistol rapid fire pistol service pistol signal pistol starter pistol starter's pistol starting pistol tiger pistol shrimp Very pistol water pistol

Translations

Albanian: pistoletë Amharic: ሽጉጥ Arabic: مُسَدَّس Arabic: فَرْد Arabic: طَبَنْجَة Arabic: غَدَّارَة Armenian: ատրճանակ Avar: таманча Azerbaijani: tapança Azerbaijani: pistolet Belarusian: пістале́т Bengali: পিস্তল Betawi: bècèng Bulgarian: пистоле́т Burmese: သေနတ် Catalan: pistola Chechen: тапча Cherokee: ᎦᎶᏇ Chinese Cantonese: 手槍 /手枪 Chinese Mandarin: 手槍 /手枪 Czech: pistole Danish: pistol Dutch: pistool Esperanto: pistolo Estonian: püstol Finnish: pistooli French: pistolet Georgian: პისტოლეტი Georgian: დამბაჩა German: Pistole German: Faustfeuerwaffe Greek: πιστόλι Gujarati: પિસ્તોલ Gujarati: તમંચો Hebrew: אֶקְדָח Hindi: बंदूक़ Hindi: बंदूक Hindi: तमंचा Hindi: पिस्तौल Hungarian: pisztoly Icelandic: skammbyssa Ido: pistolo Indonesian: pistol Ingrian: pistoletti Irish: piostal Italian: pistola Japanese: 拳銃 Japanese: ピストル Japanese: 手筒 Japanese: 弾き Kazakh: тапанша Kazakh: пистолет Khmer: កាំភ្លើងខ្លី Khmer: កាំភ្លើងដៃ Kikuyu: mũcinga
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