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
Richie hands Harry a pistol, but the fixer gives it back.
—
Matt Cabral, EW.com, 20 Apr. 2025
After the shooting, police recovered an AR-15 style rifle – in addition to the pistol and a shotgun found at the scene – inside the car Phoenix Ikner drove to campus, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the ongoing investigation.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2025
Leaving the Capitol in 1835, Jackson saw an assailant approach him with drawn pistols.
—Barbara A. Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
On the afternoon of the shooting, Calonge was seen in front of a gym at Jackson Avenue and McKee Road holding what a 911 caller said was a pistol.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pistol
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Matt Cabral, EW.com, 20 Apr. 2025
After the shooting, police recovered an AR-15 style rifle – in addition to the pistol and a shotgun found at the scene – inside the car Phoenix Ikner drove to campus, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the ongoing investigation.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2025
Leaving the Capitol in 1835, Jackson saw an assailant approach him with drawn pistols.
—Barbara A. Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
On the afternoon of the shooting, Calonge was seen in front of a gym at Jackson Avenue and McKee Road holding what a 911 caller said was a pistol.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 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 1 May. 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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