pistol

Probably from Middle French pistole, which probably via Middle High German forms like pischulle from Czech píšťala (“firearm”, literally “tube, pipe”), from Proto-Slavic *piščalь, from *piskati, *piščati (“to squeak, whistle”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *pīṣk-.

Alternatively, from Middle English pistolet, from Middle French pistolet (“small firearm or small dagger”), which, if not derived from the above, may be from Italian pistolese, from Pistoia (a city in Tuscany).

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɪstəl/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɪstəl

pistol (plural pistols)

1. A handgun, typically with a chamber integrated in the barrel, a semi-automatic action and a box magazine.
2. The mechanical component of a fuse in a bomb or torpedo responsible for firing the detonator.
3. A creative and unpredictable jokester, a constant source of entertainment and surprises.
   • 2011, Diane Lierow, Bernie Lierow, Kay West, Dani's Story: A Journey from Neglect to Love, page 81:

     She was gregarious, opinionated, and in charge, the kind of person you'd describe as a real pistol, and I was immediately drawn to her.

   • February 2012, Thomas Pugsley, Denial (episode) in Young Justice (TV series):

     KENT NELSON —Until my wife Inza convinced me there was more to life. Ah, she was a real pistol, that Inza.

   • 2012, Jimmy Correa, How My Prank Stories in ‘You Tube’ Made Me an Overnight Sensation, iUniverse, page 102:

     She features so many dance tunes and is a pistol with her sharp and witty remarks.

4. (Southern US) A small boy who is bright, alert and very active.
5. (American football) A play formation in which the quarterback is a few feet behind the center when the ball is snapped, but closer than in a shotgun formation, with a running back a few feet behind him.
   • Pistol offense on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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.

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

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

• derringer
• pistole
• gat
• rod

• pilots, postil, sploit, spoilt

• piskot

A minced oath of pisti.

• Hyphenation: pis‧tol

pistol

1. expressing anger, surprise, excitement, etc.

From Middle French pistole or from German Pistole, either from Italian pistola or from Czech píšťala (“whistle”), from Proto-Slavic *piščalь, from *piskati, *piščati (“to squeak, whistle”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *pīṣk-.

• IPA^(key): /pistoːl/, [pʰiˈsd̥oːˀl]

pistol c (singular definite pistolen, plural indefinite pistoler)

1. handgun, pistol

• pistol on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da

From Dutch pistool. Ultimately from Czech píšťala (“whistle”), from Proto-Slavic *piščalь, from *piskati, *piščati (“to squeak, whistle”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *pīṣk-.

pistol (plural pistol-pistol, first-person possessive pistolku, second-person possessive pistolmu, third-person possessive pistolnya)

1. a pistol (gun)

From Czech píšťala (“whistle, because of the shape”), via German Pistole

pistol m (definite singular pistolen, indefinite plural pistoler, definite plural pistolene)

1. a pistol (firearm)
   • Langs veggene sto politimenn med dystre ansikter, truende, med hendene på pistolene sine. Along the walls policemen stood menacingly with sombre faces, and with hands on their pistols.

• “pistol” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Czech píšťala (“whistle”), via German Pistole

pistol m (definite singular pistolen, indefinite plural pistolar, definite plural pistolane)

1. a pistol (firearm)

• “pistol” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Ultimately from Czech píšťala (“whistle”), from Proto-Slavic *piščalь, from *piskati, *piščati (“to squeak, whistle”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *pīṣk-.

• Audio

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pistol c

1. a pistol (gun)

• revolver