pistol

noun

1. (broadly)A handgun
2. (broadly)A handgun

   “She leveled her pistol at the target.”

3. The mechanical component of a fuse in a bomb or torpedo responsible for firing the detonator.
4. A lively, high-energy person.

   “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.”

   “KENT NELSON —Until my wife Inza convinced me there was more to life. Ah, she was a real pistol, that Inza.”

   “She features so many dance tunes and is a pistol with her sharp and witty remarks.”

5. 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

1. (transitive)To shoot (at) a target with a pistol.