pistol

Everyday

1. A pistol is a small gun that you hold and fire with one hand. tree →
2. A starting pistol is a toy-like pistol that only makes a loud bang, used to start races. tree →
3. A water pistol is a toy that squirts water. tree →

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 →
• We had a water pistol fight in the garden. tree →
• If you ever see a pistol lying around, don't touch it and tell an adult. tree →
• The police officer carried a pistol on her belt. tree →
• In the old story two men fought a duel with pistols. tree →
• Pirates in films often carry a pistol and a sword. tree →
• My water pistol holds half a litre of water. tree →
• He had three silver cups, two handsome pistols, and a silver coffee-pot. tree →

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.