# pistol
## English
### Etymology

Probably from Middle French pistole, or via Middle English pistolet, from Middle French pistolet (“small firearm or small dagger”). The origin is unclear.
If via German to Romance probably from 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, if from Romance to German, from or related to Italian pistolese (“short dagger”), from Italian Pistoia (“a Tuscan town noted for its gunsmithing”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpɪstəl/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɪstəl
* Homophone: pistil

### Noun

pistol (plural pistols)
* A handgun [1570s]
* The mechanical component of a fuse in a bomb or torpedo responsible for firing the detonator.
* 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.
* (Southern US) A small boy who is bright, alert and very active.
* (American football) An offensive formation in which the quarterback receives the snap at a distance behind the center, but closer than in a shotgun formation, with a running back lined up behind him.

#### Usage notes

Some shooters differentiate between a "pistol", a semi-automatic handgun with a single, integrated chamber fed by a detachable magazine, and a revolver, which is named after its multiple rotating chambers; however, in common usage, the word pistol is used to refer to any type of handgun.

#### Derived terms

* air pistol
* cap pistol
* cap-pistol
* captive bolt pistol
* dueling pistol
* duelling pistol
* horse pistol
* hot as a pistol
* hotter than a pistol
* hotter than a two dollar pistol
* machine pistol
* monkey's pistol
* muff pistol
* pistol carbine
* pistoleer
* pistol furniture
* pistol grip
* pistol pipe
* pistol shrimp
* pistol squat
* Pistolvania
* pistol-whip
* pocket pistol
* rapid fire pistol
* service pistol
* signal pistol
* starter pistol
* starter's pistol
* starting pistol
* tiger pistol shrimp
* Very pistol
* water pistol

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Verb

pistol (third-person singular simple present pistols, present participle pistoling or (more uncommon) pistolling, simple past and past participle pistoled or (more uncommon) pistolled)
* (transitive) To shoot (at) a target with a pistol.

### See also

* derringer
* pistole
* gat
* rod

### References

* “pistol”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “pistol”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
* 1 2 3 Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “pistol”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

### Further reading

* Pistol offense on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

### Anagrams

* spoilt, sploit, postil, pilots, potlis, Toplis

## Cebuano
### Alternative forms

* piskot

### Etymology

A minced oath of pisti.

### Pronunciation

* Hyphenation: pis‧tol

### Interjection

pistol
* expressing anger, surprise, excitement, etc.

## Danish
### Etymology

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-.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pistoːl/, [pʰiˈsd̥oːˀl]
* Rhymes: -oːl

### Noun

pistol c (singular definite pistolen, plural indefinite pistoler)
* handgun, pistol

#### See also

* pistol on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia $^{da}$

## Indonesian
### Etymology

From Malay pistol, from Dutch pistool, from German Pistole, from Middle French pistole, from Czech píšťala (“whistle”), from Proto-Slavic *piščalь, from *piskati, *piščati (“to squeak, whistle”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *pīṣk-.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpɪstɔl/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: pis‧tol

### Noun

pistol (plural pistol-pistol)
* a pistol (gun)

#### Alternative forms

* pestol

#### Derived terms

* berpistol
* memistol
* pistol-pistolan
* pistol air
* pistol angin
* pistol semen
* pistol start

### Further reading

* “pistol” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Malay
### Etymology

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

### Noun

pistol (Jawi spelling ڤيستول, plural pistol-pistol, informal 1st possessive pistolku, 2nd possessive pistolmu, 3rd possessive pistolnya)
* a pistol (gun, handheld short firearm weapon)

### Further reading

* “pistol” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

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

### Noun

pistol m (definite singular pistolen, indefinite plural pistoler, definite plural pistolene)
* a pistol (firearm)
** 2012, Tatiana de Rosnay, translated by Kirsti Overgaard, Saras nøkkel [Sarah's Key]‎: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.

### References

* “pistol” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology

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

### Noun

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

### References

* “pistol” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Old English
### Etymology

From Late Latin epistola, epistula. Compare Middle Dutch pistele, pistel, Middle Low German pistele, Middle High German pistel.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpis.tol/

### Noun

pistol m
* (religion, Christianity) letter, epistle
* (religion, Christianity, biblical) an epistle of the New Testament

#### Declension

Strong a-stem:

#### Derived terms

* pistolbōc
** Middle English: pistelboke
* pistolrǣdere
* pistolrǣding
* pistolrocc

#### Descendants

* Middle English: pistel, pistle, pistell, pystyll
** English: pistle
** Scots: pistil, pistill, pistle

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from Greek πιστόλι (pistóli).

### Noun

pistol n (plural pistoale)
* pistol

#### Declension
## Swedish
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

pistol c
* a pistol (gun)
    Synonyms: (colloquial) pickadoll, (colloquial) picka, (colloquial) puffra

#### Derived terms

* duellpistol
* häftpistol
* knallpulverpistol
* kulsprutepistol
* laserpistol
* leksakspistol
* limpistol
* luftpistol
* lyspistol
* pistolhot
* pistolhölster
* pistolkolv
* pistolkula
* pistolmynning
* pistolskott
* pistolskytt
* pistolskytte
* signalpistol
* spikpistol
* startpistol
* tjänstepistol
* vattenpistol
* ärtpistol

#### See also

* revolver