[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/pistol/)

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# pistol

noun (a pistol, pistols)

«pistol» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A pistol is a small gun that you hold and fire with one hand. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/#m1)
2. A starting pistol is a toy-like pistol that only makes a loud bang, used to start races. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/#m2)
3. A water pistol is a toy that squirts water. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/#m3)

### In the lessons

In safety lessons the message is: a real pistol is dangerous; if you find a gun, do not touch it, leave the place and tell an adult. On sports day a starting pistol starts a race. In history stories pistols appear in duels and in police and army life; in police news the word tells the reader a weapon was involved.

### Examples

- The race began with a bang from the starting pistol. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/#x1)
- We had a water pistol fight in the garden. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/#x2)
- If you ever see a pistol lying around, don't touch it and tell an adult. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/#x3)
- The police officer carried a pistol on her belt. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/#x4)
- In the old story two men fought a duel with pistols. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/#x5)
- Pirates in films often carry a pistol and a sword. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/#x6)
- My water pistol holds half a litre of water. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/#x7)
- He had three silver cups, two handsome pistols, and a silver coffee-pot. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/#x8)

### Note

Countable: a pistol, two pistols. "Pistol" is a handgun; a rifle is long and held with two hands. Do not confuse with "pistil", the female part of a flower, which sounds the same. Toy and starting pistols are not real weapons, but treat anything that looks like a real gun with care.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «pistol» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pistol/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«pistol» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/pistol.html) on Mova free.