Definition of "pistol"

pistol

/ˈpɪstəl/

noun
plural pistols
1. A handgun]
2. The mechanical component of a fuse in a bomb or torpedo responsible for firing the detonator.
3. A creative and unpredictable jokester, a constant source of entertainment and surprises.
  Quotations
  She was gregarious, opinionated, and in charge, the kind of person you'd describe as a real pistol, and I was immediately drawn to her.
  2011, Diane Lierow, Bernie Lierow, Kay West, Dani's Story: A Journey from Neglect to Love‎, page 81
  KENT NELSON —Until my wife Inza convinced me there was more to life. Ah, she was a real pistol, that Inza.
  February 2012, Thomas Pugsley, Denial (episode) in Young Justice (TV series)
  She features so many dance tunes and is a pistol with her sharp and witty remarks.
  2012, Jimmy Correa, How My Prank Stories in ‘You Tube’ Made Me an Overnight Sensation, iUniverse, page 102
4. (Southern US) A small boy who is bright, alert and very active.
5. (American football) An offensive formation in which the quarterback receives the snap at a distance behind the center, but closer than in a shotgun formation, with a running back lined up behind him.
verb
third-person singular simple present pistols, present participle pistoling or (more uncommon) pistolling, simple past and past participle pistoled or (more uncommon) pistolled
1. (transitive) To shoot (at) a target with a pistol.