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
Forget about the cheetah’s speed, the eagle’s eyesight or the elephant’s brute strength, and say hello to the invisible glass frog, the indestructible honey badger and the pistol shrimp who can fire bubbles that are as hot as the surface of the sun.
—
Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025
He was disguised with a knit stocking and sunglasses and carried a pistol, according to KHBS/KHOG-TV.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 27 May 2025
Phaedra barrels into the season like the sound of a starting pistol at the beginning of a race, with the good-bye interview on Married to Medicine being only a warm-up for the confessional assassin.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 26 May 2025
Officers saw a rifle in the front passenger seat of the van and found an AR-15-style pistol in the center console area, according to the warrants.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pistol
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Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025
He was disguised with a knit stocking and sunglasses and carried a pistol, according to KHBS/KHOG-TV.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 27 May 2025
Phaedra barrels into the season like the sound of a starting pistol at the beginning of a race, with the good-bye interview on Married to Medicine being only a warm-up for the confessional assassin.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 26 May 2025
Officers saw a rifle in the front passenger seat of the van and found an AR-15-style pistol in the center console area, according to the warrants.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pistol
Cite this Entry
“Pistol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pistol. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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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