Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A band-firearm introduced in the sixteenth century, shorter than the ordinary harquebus, but longer than the pistol; a sort of large horse-pistol. It was fired by a match-lock, wheel-lock, or other appliance, according to the period in which it was used.
  • noun In heraldry, a pistol used as a bearing.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A sort of hand cannon, or portable firearm, used in France in the 15th century.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete, weaponry A 17th century firearm, using a matchlock or a wheellock mechanism to make sparks in the firing pan.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle French petrinal, alteration of poitrinal, from poitrinal ("of the chest"), from poitrine ("chest, breast"), from Latin pectorina, feminine of pectorinus ("of the breast"), from Latin pectus ("chest") + -inus ("-ine")

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