Meanings
plural horse pistols
- A type of large pistol carried on the pommel of a saddle while riding.
From time to time he pulled the trigger of the horse-pistol; from time to time he rested the butt on his ledge and rammed a charge home.
1926, Ford Madox Ford, A Man Could Stand Up— (Parade's End), Penguin, published 2012, page 5591 more example
Above the chimney were sundry villainous old guns, and a couple of horse-pistols: and, by way of ornament, three gaudily-painted cainsters disposed along its ledge.
1847, Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, section I
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna large pistol (usually in a holster) formerly carried by horsemen
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Irish piostal marcaigh
- piostal marcaighTranslations
Cite this entry
horse pistol. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horse%20pistol
“horse pistol.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horse%20pistol. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “horse pistol,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horse%20pistol.
Source: horse pistol on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.