PISTOL

pistol, handgun, side arm, shooting iron

(noun) a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

pistol (plural pistols)

A handgun, typically with a chamber integrated in the barrel, a semi-automatic action and a box magazine.

The mechanical component of a fuse in a bomb or torpedo responsible for firing the detonator.

A creative and unpredictable jokester, a constant source of entertainment and surprises.

(Southern US) A small boy who is bright, alert and very active.

(American football) 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.

Usage notes

Shooters normally differentiate between a pistol and a revolver, which is named after its rotating chamber; however, in common usage, the word pistol is also imprecisely used to refer to any type of handgun.

Verb

pistol (third-person singular simple present pistols, present participle pistoling, simple past and past participle pistoled)

(transitive) To shoot (at) a target with a pistol.

Anagrams

• pilots, postil, potlis, sploit, spoilt

Source: Wiktionary


Pis"tol, n. Etym: [F. pistole, pistolet, It. pistola; prob. from a form Pistola, for Pistoja, a town in Italy where pistols were first made. Cf. Pistole.]

Definition: The smallest firearm used, intended to be fired from one hand,

– now of many patterns, and bearing a great variety of names. See Illust. of Revolver. Pistol carbine, a firearm with a removable but- piece, and thus capable of being used either as a pistol or a carbine.

– Pistol pipe (Metal.), a pipe in which the blast for a furnace is heated, resembling a pistol in form.

– Pistol shot. (a) The discharge of a pistol. (b) The distance to which a pistol can propel a ball.

Pis"tol, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pistoled; p. pr. & vb. n. Pistoling.] Etym: [Cf. F. pistoler.]

Definition: To shoot with a pistol. "To pistol a poacher." Sydney Smith.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

28 May 2025

AIR

(noun) a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing; “an air of mystery”; “the house had a neglected air”; “an atmosphere of defeat pervaded the candidate’s headquarters”; “the place had an aura of romance”


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Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

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