French Conversation · Level 8
90 words
French word
pistolet
Pronunciation
IPA/pistolɛ/
Meaning
- masculine nounpistol
Example
Il a trouvé un pistolet dans le parc.
He found a pistol in the park.
More examples
Au stand de tir, il préfère tirer avec un pistolet plutôt qu'avec un fusil.
At the shooting range, he prefers to shoot with a pistol rather than a rifle.
Core concept
A small gun held in one hand, with a short barrel and a limited practical range.
Common phrases
un pistolet chargé
a loaded pistol
tenir un pistolet
hold a pistol
tirer avec un pistolet
shoot with a pistol
Similar words
arme: A weapon used for attack or defense.
révolver: A small gun with a rotating cylinder for holding and firing cartridges.
Definition in French
Arme de poing de petite taille, utilisée pour tirer à courte portée et facilement transportable.
Word origin
The French noun pistolet entered from Italian pistola as European languages adopted terms for small firearms.
Usage tips
- French pistolet closely matches English pistol in meaning, but its final t is pronounced.
Related words
- pistolet-mitrailleursubmachine gunnoun
- pistolet automatiqueautomatic pistolnoun