Synonyms for pistol
EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR PISTOL
A moment later, when he was alone, he uncocked the pistol--Dick's pistol.
Katherine handed Austin the pistol which she had taken from Dick's hand.
He sprang to the octagonal window, even as Dick took possession of the pistol.
He leaped toward Garson—would have wrenched the pistol from the other's grasp.
Suddenly, Burke dropped the pistol into his pocket, and lolled back in his chair.
His hand slipped into the pocket where was the pistol, and clutched it.
On the instant, the pistol leaped into view, pointed straight at Garson.
In tying the professor they came upon the pistol in his coat pocket.
Suddenly, the mouth of a pistol was pointing straight at the lieutenant's head.
A Spanish captain fired a pistol at me down off Santa Catharina.
WORD ORIGIN
"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.