revolver

/rɪˈvɑlvər/

/rɪˈvɒlvə/

Other forms: revolvers

A revolver is a gun that can be held in one hand and has a revolving cylinder. Most revolvers can fire six bullets without being reloaded.

You can also call a revolver a pistol or a handgun or even a six-shooter. This last nickname comes from the fact that many revolvers have six chambers for bullets in their revolving cylinders. Originally, they were called revolving guns, but the man who invented them, Samuel Colt, preferred the briefer revolver, and it caught on.

Definitions of revolver

1. noun

   a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)
   synonyms: six-gun, six-shooter

   types:

   Colt

   a kind of revolver

   type of:

   handgun, pistol, shooting iron, side arm

   a firearm that is held and fired with one hand
2. noun

   a door consisting of four orthogonal partitions that rotate about a central pivot; a door designed to equalize the air pressure in tall buildings
   synonyms: revolving door

   type of:

   door

   a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle