any of various gold coins of varying value, formerly used in Europe
Word origin
C16: from Old French, shortened from pistolet, literally: little pistol
pistole in American English
(pɪsˈtoʊl)
noun
1.
a former Spanish gold coin
2.
any of various similar obsolete gold coins of Europe
Word origin
Fr, earlier pistolet, dim. of pistole (see pistol): so named in Fr, after debasement of the coin, in punning allusion to a double useof the orig. name of the coin, écu, which also meant “shield”