Also means
pull, string-pulling (informal)
Usage Note
Piston literally denotes the mechanical piston in an engine or pump. In very common French slang, avoir du piston means 'to have connections' or 'to get a job through string-pulling' — il a eu le poste par piston ('he got the job through nepotism'). The verb pistonner quelqu'un means to pull strings for someone.
Examples
"Il a obtenu ce poste grâce au piston."
Natural Translation
He got that position thanks to string-pulling.
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