noun
- a small firearm made to be held and fired with one hand
- such a firearm in which the chamber is part of the barrel
- Track & Field a similar device used to start a race or to signal the beginning of the gun lap: it makes a loud sound but does not fire a projectile
- ☆ Slang a remarkable or unusual person, esp. one characterized by eccentric or impetuous behavior
Origin:
Fr pistole < Ger < Czech pišt'al, pistol, orig., pipe, prob. < pisk, echoic word for a whistling sound
transitive verb pistoled or pistolled, pistoling or pistolling
to shoot with a pistol