pistole
- noun
- Archaic
:
pistole
- 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!
-
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.
-
She found an old coin worth 10 pistoles tucked away in her grandmother's jewelry box.
Synonyms
16
9.9
A former British gold coin worth 21 shillings used from the 1600s to the early 1800s
14
9.9
A gold coin used in Europe long ago
A former French gold or silver coin used from the Middle Ages to the 1700s
A large silver coin used in Europe between the 1500s and 1800s
A large silver coin used in Europe long ago
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'.