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
Numerous shell casings from a semi-automatic pistol were recovered at the scene, authorities said.
—
Harry Harris, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
The first police responders to the Bondi massacre were armed with Glock pistols that lacked the lethal range of the Akrams’ rifles and shotguns.
—CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
At least nine people were killed early Sunday as a group of assailants opened fire with pistols and an assault rifle at a South African tavern, local police officials said.
—Liezl Thom, ABC News, 21 Dec. 2025
There was criticism that the first police responders last week were armed only with Glock pistols, which did not have the lethal range of the assailants' shotguns and rifles.
—CBS News, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pistol
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Harry Harris, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
The first police responders to the Bondi massacre were armed with Glock pistols that lacked the lethal range of the Akrams’ rifles and shotguns.
—CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
At least nine people were killed early Sunday as a group of assailants opened fire with pistols and an assault rifle at a South African tavern, local police officials said.
—Liezl Thom, ABC News, 21 Dec. 2025
There was criticism that the first police responders last week were armed only with Glock pistols, which did not have the lethal range of the assailants' shotguns and rifles.
—CBS News, 21 Dec. 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 3 Jan. 2026.
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"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share