pistol

1. The pistolet was originally a 15th-century dagger made in Pistoia, Italy, from which it took its name.
2. Later small guns were made in that metalwork and gun-making center and were given the name pistolet, too, this subsequently shortened to pistol.
3. pistol“毙死他”-----手枪 

pistol 手枪

来自中古法语pistole,短火枪，可能来自德语Pistole,来自捷克语pis’tala,管子，枪管，火枪，来自pisteti,呼啸声，拟声词。引申词义手枪。

pistol

pistol: [16] Pistol is one of a very small and select group of words contributed to English by Czech (others are howitzer and robot). It comes via German pistole from Czech pišt’ala, which literally means ‘pipe’ (it is related to Russian pischal ‘shepherd’s pipe’).

pistol (n.)

"small hand-held firearm," 1570s, from Middle French pistole "short firearm" (1566), of uncertain origin, sometimes said to be from German Pistole, from Czech pis'tala "firearm," literally "tube, pipe," from pisteti "to whistle," of imitative origin, related to Russian pischal "shepherd's pipe."

But earlier English form pistolet (1550) is said to be from Middle French pistolet "a small firearm," also "a small dagger," which may be the literal sense; though some connect this word with Italian pistolese, in reference to Pistoia, town in Tuscany noted for gunsmithing. Pistol-whip (v.) is first recorded 1942.

1. Philippe was in uniform, wearing a pistol holster on his belt.

菲利普身着制服，腰带上别着手枪皮套。

2. The two policemen were joined by another policeman also carrying a pistol.

另一名持枪警察和那两名警察会合了。

3. Flavell had accidentally discharged a pistol, firing it into the ceiling.

弗拉维尔不小心扳动了一把手枪的扳机，子弹射入了天花板。

4. A pistol wasn't that hard to hide under a loose shirt.

在宽松的衬衣下藏一把手枪并不难。

5. The pistol was positioned where I couldn't help but see it.

手枪放在我抬眼就能看见的地方。

【pistol, fifle, gun, cannon】
这组词都有“枪，炮”的意思，其区别是：
pistol: 指手枪。
fifle: 指步枪类的枪。
gun: 系枪的通称。
cannon: 在军事上，现在gun指火炮，取代了cannon这一名词。