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
This year’s competitions include bench press, dodgeball, air pistol, pickleball, rowing, baseball, bowling and golf, including the debut of the Ultimate Firefighter competition at the Heartland Fire Training Facility, 1301 N. Marshall Ave, El Cajon.
—
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2024
The boxes contained 12 automatic rifles, 14 pistols and 999 cartridges.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024
The video shows a pistol in the passenger’s hand, according to the affidavit.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2024
Keeley died when a 12-year-old friend shot her once with a pistol inside the friend’s home in Eldora, Meyer said, according to KCCI.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for pistol 
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2024
The boxes contained 12 automatic rifles, 14 pistols and 999 cartridges.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024
The video shows a pistol in the passenger’s hand, according to the affidavit.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2024
Keeley died when a 12-year-old friend shot her once with a pistol inside the friend’s home in Eldora, Meyer said, according to KCCI.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for pistol
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pistol.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pistol
Cite this Entry
“Pistol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pistol. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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"
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