pistole
1
9.9
- noun
- Archaic
- Take these 100 pistoles and forgive me.
Examples
-
The merchant paid the artist 50 pistoles for the painting.
-
Ten pistoles it cost me!
-
One thousand pistoles on each of their heads, dead or alive.
Fiction book (1993) -
No, 20, 20 pistoles and 20 more as a fine, to teach you manners!
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On my honour as a gentleman, my own money, all of 12 pistoles.
-
Two pistoles.
Fiction book (1993) -
In the 17th century, a nobleman might own several pistoles as part of his fortune.
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She found an old coin worth 10 pistoles tucked away in her grandmother's jewelry box.
Synonyms
17
9.9
A former British gold coin worth 21 shillings used from the 1600s to the early 1800s
13
9.9
A gold coin used in Europe long ago
1
9.9
A large silver coin used in Europe long ago
1
9.9
A large silver coin used in Europe between the 1500s and 1800s
A former French gold or silver coin used from the Middle Ages to the 1700s
Surface Forms
Etymology
Pistole (coin) probably got its name from old European words like pistola or pistolet, which named a small firearm, and one idea is that this handy gold or silver 'coin' was popular with soldiers and sailors so it kept the name. So you can remember a pistole as a small, portable piece of money that shared a name with a 'small pistol'.