piste
Americannoun
-
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.
noun
-
a trail, slope, or course for skiing
-
a rectangular area for fencing bouts
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.
It has led him to a seventh-place finish in Saturday's downhill, racing with his guide James Hannan down the iconic Olympia delle Tofane piste, with more events to follow over the coming days.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
She was airlifted off the piste and diagnosed with a complex tibia fracture in her left leg.
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026
Disgusted, McGrath hurled his poles over the safety netting that lined the Stelvio piste, with nearby Swiss team members embracing each other in celebration.
From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026
In snowy conditions in Bormio, the 25-year-old delivered a masterclass on the Stelvio piste to beat Swiss great Marco Odermatt to gold by 0.58 seconds, with Odermatt's team-mate Loic Meillard taking bronze.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
En Amerique, professeur; En Angleterre, journaliste; C'est � grands pas et en sueur Que vous suivrez � peine ma piste.
From Poems by Eliot, T. S. (Thomas Stearns)
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.
