revolver
revolver Lexical Profile
revolver Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A type of handgun equipped with a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers that align successively with the barrel for firing.
"The historian carefully examined a Civil War-era revolver preserved in the museum's glass display case."
A financial arrangement, such as a revolving line of credit, that allows a corporate borrower to continuously draw, repay, and redraw funds up to a specified limit.
"The corporation secured a fifty-million-dollar revolver to ensure they had sufficient working capital during seasonal fluctuations."
Word Nuance & Usage
While often used interchangeably with "pistol" in casual conversation, firearms experts strictly distinguish a revolver (which has a rotating multi-chamber cylinder) from a pistol (where the chamber is integrated into a single barrel).
• Rhymes for revolver
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the verb "revolve" (from Latin "revolvere", meaning to unroll or turn back) and the agent suffix "-er". The term was popularized in the 1830s after Samuel Colt patented the mechanical design for a firearm with a rotating cylinder.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.