starting pistol
starting pistol — noun
1. a device shaped like a handgun that fires blanks — producing a loud bang — to gi
a device shaped like a handgun that fires blanks — producing a loud bang — to give the signal for a race to begin
The runners froze at the starting line, waiting for the starting pistol to fire.
collocation: fire a starting pistol
As soon as the starting pistol went off, the athletes sprinted forward.
phrasal verb: go off (of the pistol)
A faulty starting pistol caused confusion at the beginning of the 400-metre race.
The crowd fell silent the moment the official raised the starting pistol above his head.
Without a working starting pistol, the coach simply shouted 'Go!' to begin the race.
- starter's gun
used interchangeably in British English, though less precise
- race gun
informal term, not standard in official contexts
用法筆記
The object is the device itself — a person fires it, or it goes off. Often used figuratively (e.g. 'the starting pistol for the election campaign').