pistole
1
9.9
A small gun that often appears in old stories
- noun
- /ˈpɪstəˌleɪ/
- Archaic
:
pistola
- During the museum tour, we learned about the pistole used by pirates in the 18th century.
Examples
-
In the old tale, the hero defended himself with a small pistole against the bandits.
-
SIE BEDROHEN MICH MIT EINE PISTOLE?
-
The soldier carefully cleaned his antique pistole before the reenactment of the battle.
Synonyms
pistol
vspistole
276
2.1
A small gun you hold and fire with one hand
is an old-fashioned literary word rather than the modern common term
firearm
vspistole
264
4.5
A gun a person can hold and fire by hand
is narrower and archaic, meaning specifically a small handheld weapon
handgun
vspistole
139
4.6
A small gun that you hold and fire with one hand
is the archaic literary label rather than the neutral technical term
sidearm
vspistole
15
4.6
A small gun carried at a person's side for protection
is a literary old term, not specifically about being carried for defense
1
8.6
A small gun like a pistol that you carry on your belt
is archaic and literary rather than casual and slangy
Surface Forms
Etymology
Pistole (small gun) is an old form of the word pistol, coming from words such as pistola, and it simply meant a small 'hand gun'. That's why in old books a pistole is what we now call a pistol.