revolver

revolver — noun

1. a handgun that has a short rotating cylinder with several bullet chambers, allow

1.nounB2
Definition

a handgun that has a short rotating cylinder with several bullet chambers, allowing the user to fire multiple shots before the cylinder needs to be refilled.

Example

The detective pulled his revolver from the holster after hearing a noise.

Hui kept an old revolver in the drawer beside her bed for safety.

collocation: keep a revolver for protection / safety

Common collocations
  • spin a revolver
  • load a revolver
  • unload a revolver
  • revolver cylinder
  • pull a revolver
Synonyms
  • pistol

    broader term that includes both revolvers and semi-automatic handguns; often used interchangeably in casual speech, but technically distinct

  • handgun

    the general category of small firearms designed to be held and fired with one hand; less specific than revolver

  • six-shooter

    informal term specifically referring to a revolver that holds six bullets; common in Western fiction

Usage Note

Frequently appears in stories about the American Old West and detective fiction. The cylinder typically holds six bullets, which is why revolvers are sometimes called 'six-shooters'.

Common Mistakes

He aimed the revolver and fired three bullets from the magazine.
He aimed the revolver and fired three bullets from the cylinder.
a revolver does not have a detachable magazine; it has a cylinder.
Idioms

have a revolver at one's head

idiom

to be under extreme pressure to do something, as if being threatened with a gun.

With the deadline only hours away, the team felt like they had a revolver at their heads.

Word family

  • revolve
    verbB2
  • revolving
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to handheld firearms, but they differ in mechanism and register. A revolver specifically has a rotating cylinder that holds bullets in separate chambers; each pull of the trigger rotates the cylinder to align the next chamber with the barrel. A pistol is a broader term that includes both revolvers and semi-automatic handguns—many people use 'pistol' casually for any handgun. Handgun is the most general term, covering all firearms designed to be held and fired with one hand. 'Six-shooter' is an informal, old-fashioned term for a revolver that holds exactly six rounds, commonly found in Western movies. In everyday speech, someone might say 'He pulled out a pistol,' but a gun enthusiast would specify 'He drew a revolver' if the cylinder mechanism is relevant.

revolver ↗pistol ↗handgunsix-shooter

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • revolver in hand
  • point a revolver at
  • reach for a revolver

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word 'revolver' entered English in the 1830s, derived from the Latin verb 'revolvere' (to roll back or turn around). It was first used to describe the new handgun design patented by Samuel Colt, in which a rotating cylinder 'revolves' to bring each bullet into firing position. The verb 'revolve' had been in English since the 1400s, but the firearm sense gave the word its best-known modern meaning.