muff pistol en · NOUN
Etymology
From muff + pistol.
Meanings
-
(historical) A small flintlock or percussion gun, usually for women, which can be hidden in a muff (hand-warmer).
A century earlier [than the 1870s], women in dangerous professions, such as tending bar or prostitution, carried a “lady's muff pistol.”
2006, Elisabeth Israels Perry and Jennifer Ann Price, expanatory note for An American girl, and her four years in a boys' college by Olive San Louie Anderson, page 203
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| muff pistols | Number=Plur | lexicographic |