burn pit

American  

[burn pit] / ˈbɜrn ˌpɪt /

noun

1. an area used for the open-air burning of trash and/or brush.

   The county banned residential burn pits years ago, but every so often it’s obvious that someone’s burning a pile of twigs and leaves.

2. U.S. Military. an often expansive area, at or adjacent to a base of operations, used for the uncontrolled, open-air burning of military waste, including plastics, chemicals, rubber, paint, fuels, munitions, human and medical waste, metals, and electronics: generative of toxic smoke and fumes that have been associated with a number of short- and long-term ailments suffered by exposed military personnel and civilians.

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Etymology

Origin of burn pit

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Before the law, about three-quarters of disability claims involving burn pit exposure were denied by the government.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2022

Mr. Biden suspects that his son’s death was caused by burn pit exposure while deployed to Iraq from 2008 to 2009, but the link is unproven.

From Washington Times • Dec. 14, 2022

Imagine, though, what happens when the burn pit isn't just filled with garbage; it is also filled with care packages, printers and maps as part of a military retrograde operation.

From Salon • Nov. 11, 2022

“So many military families have had to fight this terrible emotional battle. So many veterans are still battling burn pit illnesses. Today, too many have succumbed to those illnesses, as well.”

From Washington Post • Aug. 10, 2022

Mr. Robinson served in Iraq and died in 2020 after battling lung cancer believed to have been tied to burn pit exposure, and the bill is called the Sgt.

From New York Times • Aug. 2, 2022