Verey pistol
- noun
- Specialized
:
pistola Verey
- She used a Verey pistol to fire a red flare into the night sky, alerting the nearby ship.
Examples
-
The pilot reached for the Verey pistol to signal his position to the rescue team.
-
The sailor used a Verey pistol to signal the ship.
-
During training exercises, cadets learned how to operate a Verey pistol for nighttime communications.
-
Have you ever seen a Verey pistol in action?
-
She used a Verey pistol to fire a red flare into the night sky, alerting the nearby ship.
-
During training exercises, cadets learned how to operate a Verey pistol for nighttime communications.
-
The pilot reached for the Verey pistol to signal his position to the rescue team.
Synonyms
268
2.1
A small gun you hold and fire with one hand
A small gun that fires bright flares to signal for help at sea or in emergencies
A small gun that often appears in old stories
Surface Forms
Morphology
Verey + pistol
Although 'pistol' clearly indicates a firearm, 'Verey' is an eponym/proper name (not a transparent lexical element) and gives no clue that the device fires signal flares. The specific sense 'pistol for Very lights/flare gun' is historically named and not derivable from the parts, so learners who only know the constituents would not predict the signaling meaning.
Etymology
Verey pistol is a small gun made to fire bright flares called Very lights. Picture a pistol shooting a bright flare into the dark sky so people can see your position — that's why it means a gun used to send a 'signal' or call for 'help'.