piste
Americannoun
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a track or trail, as a downhill ski run or a spoor made by a wild animal.
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(in fencing) a regulation-size strip, usually 2 meters wide and 14 meters long, on which fencers compete.
noun
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a trail, slope, or course for skiing
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a rectangular area for fencing bouts
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She was airlifted off the piste and diagnosed with a complex tibia fracture in her left leg.
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026
She was winched off the piste by a rescue helicopter and is being treated in a hospital in Treviso.
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
Stunned spectators applauded towards the helicopter as it carried her away from the piste which has brought her so much success in the past - with 12 of her 84 World Cup wins coming here.
From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026
She cried in anguish and pain after her awful fall high up the course, medical staff surrounding the distraught 41-year-old on the Olimpia delle Tofane piste where has enjoyed much success in the past.
From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026
La piste is an imaginary line upon which the horse is made to walk.
From New Method of Horsemanship Including the Breaking and Training of Horses, with Instructions for Obtaining a Good Seat. by Baucher, F.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
