piste

[ peest ]

/ pist /

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noun

a track or trail, as a downhill ski run or a spoor made by a wild animal.

(in fencing) a regulation-size strip, usually 2 meters wide and 14 meters long, on which fencers compete.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of piste

1720–30; <French: animal track <Italian pista, pesta, noun derivative of pestare to pound, crush <Vulgar Latin, frequentative of Latin pī(n)sere;cf. pestle

Words nearby piste

piss-up, pissy, pistachio, pistachio green, pistareen, piste, pistil, pistillate, Pistoia, pistol, pistole

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use piste in a sentence

That’s a bonus in weird snow off-trail, but it demands a bit more muscle back on piste.
Runners-Up Review: The All-Mountain Skis That Almost Made Our 2022 Winter Buyer’s Guide|agintzler|December 17, 2021|Outside Online
Terrain at Asahidake is almost all off-piste, and better suited toward more advanced skiers/riders.
Olympians Dish on Their Favorite Spots to Ski & Snowboard|The Daily Beast|October 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Devant la piste de combat, quelques fauteuils et les banquettes rouges étaient sorties.
Histoires grises|E. Edouard Tavernier
On our return to the piste, or flying field, we usually keep steadily at it until nearly dark.
Don Hale with the Flying Squadron|W. Crispin Sheppard

And every one on the grande piste seemed to know to whom that machine belongedit was Alberts.
Don Hale with the Flying Squadron|W. Crispin Sheppard
As the shadows slowly deepened over the earth the flyers, one by one, returned to the grande piste.
Don Hale with the Flying Squadron|W. Crispin Sheppard
One just has to drive them in a straight line across the piste.
Don Hale with the Flying Squadron|W. Crispin Sheppard

British Dictionary definitions for piste

piste

/ (piːst) /

noun

a trail, slope, or course for skiing

a rectangular area for fencing bouts

Word Origin for piste

C18: via Old French from Old Italian pista, from pistare to tread down

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012