pistol

[pis-tl] /ˈpɪs tl/
noun
1.
a short firearm intended to be held and fired with one hand.
verb (used with object), pistoled, pistoling or (especially British) pistolled, pistolling.
2.
to shoot with a pistol.
Origin
1560-70; < Middle French pistole < German, earlier pitschal, pitschole, petsole < Czech píšt’ala literally, pipe, fife, whistle (presumably a slang term for a type of light harquebus employed during the Hussite wars), akin to pištět to squeak, peep
Related forms
pistollike, adjective
Examples from the web for pistol
  • Carrying of pistol or revolver without permit prohibited.
  • Centerfire pistol, revolver or rifle using expanding-type bullets.
  • These were not the sort of gun you'd take to the pistol range to practice with, to put it mildly.
  • Cal has a backward system for issuing concealed pistol licenses.
  • When the starting pistol fires, sprinters launch into the race with a burst of acceleration.
  • He showed videos of a calculus textbook stopping a pistol bullet, but not stopping a rifle bullet.
  • And when he could spy the white of her eye, he made the pistol crack.
  • He called for fresh chocolate, and next moment heard the report of a pistol.
  • In other homes some member of the family had bought a new pistol.
  • The instant of choice had come at last, the pistol was at his head.
British Dictionary definitions for pistol

pistol

/ˈpɪstəl/
noun
1.
a short-barrelled handgun
2.
hold a pistol to a person's head, to threaten a person in order to force him to do what one wants
verb -tols, -tolling, -tolled (US) -tols, -toling, -toled
3.
(transitive) to shoot with a pistol
Word Origin
C16: from French pistole, from German, from Czech pišt'ala pistol, pipe; related to Russian pischal shepherd's pipes
Word Origin and History for pistol
n.

"small hand-held firearm," 1570s, from Middle French pistole "short firearm" (1566), of uncertain origin, sometimes said to be from German Pistole, from Czech pis'tala "firearm," literally "tube, pipe," from pisteti "to whistle," of imitative origin, related to Russian pischal "shepherd's pipe."

But earlier English form pistolet (1550) is said to be from Middle French pistolet "a small firearm," also "a small dagger," which may be the literal sense; though some connect this word with Italian pistolese, in reference to Pistoia, town in Tuscany noted for gunsmithing. Pistol-whip (v.) is first recorded 1942.

Slang definitions & phrases for pistol

pistol

noun
  1. A person or thing that is remarkable, wonderful, superior, etc; beaut, pip, piss-cutter: That Ruby Jean, she's a pistol (1984+)
  2. A woman's breast; bazooka, jug, tit: Whoa! Look at the pistols on that new French teacher (1990s+)
  3. Hot pastrami (1950s+ Lunch counter)
Related Terms

hot as a three-dollar pistol

[first sense probably a euphemism for pisser; lunch-counter sense because the eater feels as if shot in the stomach soon after eating hot pastrami]


pistol in Technology


[IBM] A tool that makes it all too easy for you to shoot yourself in the foot. "Unix "rm *" makes such a nice pistol!"
[Jargon File]