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pistol

noun · verb

Simple meaning

The type of handgun with the chamber integral with the barrel.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

pistuhl

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈpɪstəl

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. looselyprecise

    The type of handgun with the chamber integral with the barrel.

  2. loosely

    A handgun

  3. The mechanical component of a fuse in a bomb or torpedo responsible for firing the detonator.

  4. A lively, high-energy person.

verb

  1. transitive

    To shoot (at) a target with a pistol.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Moderately Common
Formality
Technical

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: (precise) The type of handgun with the chamber integral with the barrel.

Used this way, pistol is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It quietly approves while staying precise.

Emotional tone
Positive
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Gentle
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Careful and exacting
Usage feel
Precise and approving

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use pistol

  • “The police officer drew his pistol from its holster.”noun

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

machine pistolpistol gripwater pistolpistol shotloaded pistolcaliber pistolsmall pistol

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • pistol gripnounCompound term

    A handle (as of a gun or saw) shaped like the butt of a pistol.

  • pistol shrimpnounCompound term

    Small shrimp that makes a snapping noise with one of their enlarged chelae.

  • pistol-whipverbCompound term

    Beat with a pistol.

  • horse-pistolnounCompound term

    A large pistol (usually in a holster) formerly carried by horsemen.

  • machine pistolnounCompound term

    A fully automatic pistol.

  • semiautomatic pistolnounCompound term

    A pistol that is a semiautomatic firearm capable of loading and firing continuously.

Related Words

Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.