▪ I. pistol, n.
(ˈpɪstəl)
Also 6 pistolle, 6–7 pistoll, 7 pistle.
[a. obs. F. pistole (1566 in H. Estienne) a pistol. So It., Sp. pistola (? from Fr.). App. a shortened form of pistolet, which was earlier both in Fr. and Eng., and in Fr. has out-lived pistole. See pistolet1.]
1. a. A small fire-arm, with a more or less curved stock, adapted to be held in, and fired by, one hand.
| c 1570 Sir H. Gilbert Q. Eliz. Achad. (1869) 4 To teache noble men and gentlemen..to skirmish on horsbacke with pistolles. 1579 Digges Stratiot. 111 To give the Enemye a volue of their Pistols. 1601 Sir W. Cornwallis Ess. iv, To keep this Case of Pistols continually ready charged, and bent. 1768–74 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1834) II. 373 If a man..should have a pistol holden over him, and be threatened with being shot through the head. 1841 Lane Arab. Nts. I. 126 With a pair of pistols stuck in the girdle. |
† b. transf. (
pl.) Troops armed with pistols, pistoleers.
Obs. rare.
| 1598 Barret Theor. Warres v. ii. 143 They are alwayes seconded with armed Pistols or Lances. |
c. Volta's pistol, a metallic tubular vessel, closed with a cork, in which an explosive mixture of gases may be ignited by an electric spark.
| 1784 Watt in Phil. Trans. LXXIV. 331 In the same manner as is done in the inflammable air pistol. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXVI. 434/1 He [Volta] also invented (1777) the instrument which has been called the electrical pistol. 1872 Everett tr. Deschanel's Elem. Nat. Philos. 556 This experiment is usually shown by means of Volta's pistol, which is a metallic vessel containing the mixture and closed by a cork. |
d. to beat the pistol, in Athletics, to make a false start (
cf. gun n. 6 e);
to hold a pistol to (or at) (a person's) head: to threaten (a person) in order to induce him to act in a particular way; to issue with an ultimatum;
with a pistol at one's head: under pressure; while being threatened.
| 1905 S. Crowther Rowing & Track Athletics 302 False starts were rarely penalized..and..‘beating the pistol’ was one of the tricks which less sportsmanlike runners constantly practised. 1917 W. J. Locke Red Planet iii. 33 The boy was my guest. I had not intended to hold a pistol to his head. 1920 E. H. Clark Track Athletics up to Date vi. 49 Some athletes try to gauge the moment when the starter's finger is curling over the trigger of his pistol and to start just before the pistol is fired, when it is too late for the starter to check his finger. This is called ‘beating the pistol’. 1974 ‘W. Haggard’ Kinsmen iii. 40 She'd held a pistol at Heale-Mann's respectable head. Do as I wish or face a scandal. 1978 Times 14 Mar. 19/2 The [French] Socialists..have an understandable dislike of negotiating with a pistol at their heads. |
2. attrib. and
Comb., as
pistol-bag,
pistol-ball,
pistol-barrel,
pistol-belt,
pistol-bullet,
pistol-butt,
pistol-flint,
pistol-holster,
pistol-pocket,
pistol-powder,
pistol-practice,
pistol-range,
pistol-shape,
pistol-toter;
pistol-like,
pistol-shaped adjs.,
pistol-toting vbl. n. and
ppl. adj.;
pistol-wise adv.;
pistol-arm, the arm with which the pistol is held when fired;
pistol-cane, a concealed pistol in the form of a cane, or a cane containing a concealed pistol;
pistol-carbine, a pistol provided with a detachable butt-piece, so as to be fired either as a pistol or as a carbine;
pistol flare = pistol light;
pistol-grip, (
a) a projection, in shape like the butt of a pistol, on the under side of a gun-stock, to give a firmer grip for the hand in firing; (
b)
transf. a handle shaped like a pistol-grip; also
attrib.;
pistol-hand, (
a) the hand in which the pistol is held; (
b)
= pistol-grip;
pistol key, a watch-key in the form of a pistol;
pistol light, a night-signal or light fired from a special pistol, used by soldiers, etc.; a Very light;
pistol man, a man accustomed to use a pistol, a duellist;
pistol-packing ppl. a. [see
pack v. 9], carrying a pistol; hence
pistol-packer;
pistol-pipe (
Metallurgy), the blast-pipe of a hot-blast furnace;
pistol-proof,
† n. ability to resist a pistol-shot;
a., able to resist a pistol-shot (see
proof n. and a.);
pistol-splint Surg., a splint shaped like a pistol, used
esp. in certain fractures of the arm. See also
pistol-shot.
| 1842 S. Lover Handy Andy iii, I'll give it him in the *pistol-arm, or so. |
| 1701 Lond. Gaz. No. 3714/4 Lost.., a pair of green Velvet *Pistol-Bags embroidered with Gold. |
| 1821 Byron Wks. (1846) 584/2 A man who can snuff a candle..with a *pistol-ball. |
| 1655 Marquis of Worcester Cent. Inv. Index 7 Light *Pistol-barrels. |
| 1660 N. Ingelo Bentiv. & Ur. ii. (1682) 130 They imploy such utensils when they make *Pistol bullet. 1835–6 Todd's Cycl. Anat. I. 745/2 This tumour had the volume of a..pistol-bullet. |
| 1814 Scott Wav. lviii, Striking the boy upon the head with the heavy *pistol-butt. |
| 1916 ‘Boyd Cable’ Action Front 26 ‘Keep the lights blazing,’ Rawbon paused to shout to the man with the *pistol flares. |
| 1818 ― Hrt. Midl. xlv, He..filled his pipe, lighted it with the assistance of his *pistol-flint, and smoked. |
| 1874 J. W. Long Amer. Wild-fowl i. 27 A *pistol-grip is thought by some to be an advantage. 1892 Greener Breech-Loader 84 The rational gun stock..embodies qualities long sought in pistol grip guns. 1917 ‘Contact’ Airman's Outings 227, I laugh and proceed to pass some wire through the pistol-grip. 1958 Engineering 28 Mar. 411/3 In addition to the push-button and pistol-grip controls. 1964 S. Crawford Basic Engin. Processes i. 13 A tubular frame adjustable hacksaw with the ‘pistol-grip’ type handle. 1972 Shooting Times & Country Mag. 27 May 3/2 (Advt.), Pistolgrip stock with cheekpiece {pstlg}2 extra. 1974 Country Life 17 Jan. 82/3 The standard unit includes a parabole reflector, pistol grip, microphone and carrying kit. 1977 Western Mail (Cardiff) 5 Mar. 12/3 (Advt.), Movie camera (pistol⁓grip) and carrying case. |
| 1856 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 8) XI. 100/1 A *pistol-hand is a handsome..addition to the gun⁓stock. 1892 Greener Breech-Loader 82 The pistol-hand gun-stock, especially in that form..known technically as half pistol-hand, is the common form throughout Canada and the United States. 1894 A. Robertson Nuggets, etc. 186, I knocked the fellow's pistol-hand up with a rapid blow. |
| 1916 ‘Boyd Cable’ Action Front 62 A couple of *pistol lights flared upwards. 1929 Papers Mich. Acad. Sci., Arts & Lett. X. 315 Pistol lights, rockets shot from a pistol. |
| 1834 L. Ritchie Wand. by Seine 167 We hear..the *pistol-like report of beer, and the more soberly alluring plunk! of wine-corks. |
| 1784 R. Bage Barham Downs I. 213, I once intended to have shot at him,..but not being much of a *pistol man..I changed my mind. |
| 1944 Time 10 July 40/2 The lady that's known as Lou pinched several pokes, but pulled no triggers... No *pistol packer, she. |
| 1943 A. Dexter (song-title) *Pistol packin' mama. 1948 E. Pound Pisan Cantos (1949) lxxvi. 39 The pride of all our D.T.C. was pistol-packin' Burnes. 1972 T. Ardies This Suitcase xviii. 204 The hotel had been taken over by pistol-packing maniacs. |
| 1966 M. Avallone Fat Death 20 His hands were anchored into the *pistol pockets of his grey trousers, throwing back the tails of his form-fitting jacket. |
| 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. v. xii. 65 *Pistol Powder is now commonly made of Salt-peter five parts, one part of Brimstone, and one of Cole. |
| 1846 Punch XI. 206 Maids-of-all-work learning *pistol-practice at the shooting galleries. |
| 1590 Sir R. Williams Disc. Warre 29 The forepart of his curaces of a light *pistoll proofe. 1607 R. C[arew] tr. Estienne's World of Wonders 237 Harnesse..not halfe so weighty, and yet of pistol proof. 1692 Luttrell Brief. Rel. (1857) II. 402 Armour pistoll proofe 27 foot distance. |
| 1864 Trevelyan Compet. Wallah (1866) 82 The sepoys plied them with shot at *pistol-range. |
| 1931 E. Wenham Domestic Silver v. 42 Probably one of the most attractive forms of handles is the so-called *pistol-shape. |
| 1964 W. L. Goodman Hist. Woodworking Tools 133 Using the broad-bladed Japanese saw with the *pistol-shaped handle. |
| 1893 Syd. Soc. Lex., *Pistol-splint. |
| 1905 Dialect Notes III. 90 *Pistol-toter,..one who habitually carries a pistol. ‘Suppress the pistol-toter and the bootlegger.’ General. |
| 1914 Maclean's Mag. Dec. 56/1 The police force..is so inefficient that ‘*pistol-toting’ after night is common among all classes. 1965 Economist 25 Sept. 1215/3 The men of Sinn Fein..are a more interesting study buying large brandies in the border towns for the pistol-toting Protestants of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. |
| 1895 Outing (U.S.) XXVI. 6/1 The Major, holding on with one hand, used the rifle *pistol⁓wise. |
Add:
[1.] † e. Someone blustering, eccentric in appearance, or otherwise peculiar. (Usu.
contempt.)
Obs. north. dial.| 1857 J. Sullivan Cumberland & Westmorland ii. iii. 90 ‘Thou'rt a bonny pistol’ is anything but praise. 1894 Weyver's Awn Comic Olmanac 18 They've sum pistols o'weyver's to deeal wi'. 1903 Eng. Dial. Dict. IV. 524/1 He's a gay pistle wi' a sup o' drink in him. He's a gay pistle is oor laal Jacky. |
f. A remarkable person; someone exceptional,
esp. for reliability or strength of character.
U.S. slang.
| 1984 J. Didion Democracy ii. x. 153 Your mother's been getting up a party for the Rose Bowl, Harry Victor said. Carol's a real pistol, Dwight Christian said. 1984 J. Phillips Machine Dreams 20 What a pistol she was—still working at the dress shop then, hard as nails and took no truck from anyone. |
▪ II. ˈpistol, v. [f. prec. n.: cf. F. pistoler.] 1. trans. To shoot with a pistol.
| 1607 Dekker Hist. Sir. T. Wyatt Wks. 1873 III. 112 Powder the Varlet, pistoll him. 1691 Wood Ath. Oxon. I. 757 He, out of a deep reluctancy, pistol'd himself in his Cabin. 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) VIII. xvii. 91 He is afraid you will pistol him. 1894 Crockett Raiders 152, I declare I could have pistolled him there and then. |
2. intr. To make a noise like the report of a pistol; to crack.
nonce-use.
| 1898 F. Whitmore in Atlantic Monthly Apr. 500/1 His whip⁓lash whirling and pistoling about his head. |
Hence
ˈpistoling,
-olling vbl. n. and ppl. a. (also
fig.).
| 1637 Heylin Brief Answ. 111 One or two godly Ministers..were threatned..with Pistolling and hanging. 1816 Scott Antiq. xxii, He has had gunning and pistolling enough. 1877 Morley Crit. Misc. Ser. ii. 392 Macaulay advances with his hectoring sentences and his rough pistolling ways. |
▪ III. pistol variant of
pistle Obs.