Pistol
/ˈpɪs.təl/noun
A small handheld firearm.
Did you know?The word entered English in the 16th century, but its earlier path is debated: many scholars connect it to Czech píšťala, meaning “pipe” or “flute,” for the gun’s tube-like shape.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
pistol
“A small firearm held in one hand.”
16th Century
French
pistolet
“A small handgun.”
16th Century
Czech
píšťala
“A pipe, flute, or whistle; possibly a name for an early firearm.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
pistula / fistula
“A pipe, tube, or reed pipe.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peis- / *peik-
“A root associated with cutting or pointed objects, proposed by some scholars in related explanations, though the exact origin remains uncertain.”