pit

[ pit ]

/ pɪt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: pit / pits / pitted / pitting on Thesaurus.com

noun

a naturally formed or excavated hole or cavity in the ground: pits caused by erosion;clay pits.

a covered or concealed excavation in the ground, serving as a trap.

Mining.

an excavation made in exploring for or removing a mineral deposit, as by open-cut methods.
the shaft of a coal mine.
the mine itself.

the abode of evil spirits and lost souls; hell: an evil inspiration from the pit.

the pits, Slang. an extremely unpleasant, boring, or depressing place, condition, person, etc.; the absolute worst: When you're alone, Christmas is the pits.

a hollow or indentation in a surface: glass flawed by pits.

a natural hollow or depression in the body: the pit of the back.

pits, Informal. the armpits: up to my pits in work.

a small, depressed scar, as one of those left on the skin after smallpox or chicken pox.

an enclosure, usually below the level of the spectators, as for staging fights between dogs, cocks, or, formerly, bears.

(in a commodity exchange) a part of the floor of the exchange where trading in a particular commodity takes place: the corn pit.

Architecture.

all that part of the main floor of a theater behind the musicians.
British. the main floor of a theater behind the stalls.
orchestra (def. 2a).

(in a hoistway) a space below the level of the lowest floor served.

Auto Racing. an area at the side of a track, for servicing and refueling the cars.

Bowling. the sunken area of a bowling alley behind the pins, for the placement or recovery of pins that have been knocked down.

Track. the area forward of the takeoff point in a jumping event, as the broad jump or pole vault, that is filled with sawdust or soft earth to lessen the force of the jumper's landing.

the area or room of a casino containing gambling tables.

verb (used with object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

to mark or indent with pits or depressions: ground pitted by erosion.

to scar with pockmarks: His forehead was pitted by chickenpox.

to place or bury in a pit, as for storage.

to set in opposition or combat, as one against another.

to put (animals) in a pit or enclosure for fighting.

verb (used without object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

to become marked with pits or depressions.

(of body tissue) to retain temporarily a mark of pressure, as by a finger, instrument, etc.

OTHER WORDS FOR pit

21 match, oppose.

See synonyms for pit on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of pit

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun pit, pit(t)e, put(e), putte, Old English pytt “pit, grave,” from Latin puteus “well, pit, shaft”; verb derivative of the noun

Words nearby pit

piston pin, piston ring, piston rod, piston slap, pistou, pit, pita, pit against, pitahaya, Pitaka, pitanga

Other definitions for pit (2 of 2)

pit²

[ pit ]

/ pɪt /

Chiefly Northern U.S.

noun

the stone of a fruit, as of a cherry, peach, or plum.

verb (used with object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

to remove the pit from (a fruit or fruits): to pit cherries for a pie.

Origin of pit

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45, from Dutch, Middle Dutch pitte, pit “kernel”; cognate with pith

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

How to use pit in a sentence

Not only does the ball shrink into a peach pit whenever it slaps against Leonard’s mighty hands, but everytime he steps on the court, he brings a game that’s been molded to dominate areas of the floor, placing an insoluble strain on the opposition.
If Kawhi Turns His Back To The Basket, Watch Out|Michael Pina|September 3, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
He’s the leading figure in remaking old-line exchanges dominated by traders shouting bids from “open outcry pits” into electronic platforms.
First he took energy trading and the NYSE electronic. Now Jeff Sprecher of ICE shares his plans to digitize your mortgage|Shawn Tully|September 2, 2020|Fortune
“Any suggestion that my clients or I have any responsibility in the city’s decision to buy this money pit is a convenient political deflection,” he wrote in a statement.
The Deal Before the 101 Ash St. Debacle Helps Explain How We Got Here|Lisa Halverstadt and Jesse Marx|August 24, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Remains of fire pits were found not far from Border Cave’s former grass beds.
The oldest known grass beds from 200,000 years ago included insect repellents|Bruce Bower|August 13, 2020|Science News

He thinks the arrangement of the pits — in a circle surrounding the henge — might mean they marked the boundary to some important space.
Underground mega-monument found near Stonehenge|Avery Elizabeth Hurt|August 11, 2020|Science News For Students
So what of the photograph of what the Senate report described as a “well-used waterboard” with buckets around it, at the Salt Pit?
CIA Interrogation Chief: ‘Rectal Feeding,’ Broken Limbs Are News to Me|Kimberly Dozier|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He watched the pit grow bigger every month, despite the numerous reports he wrote about the facility.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.|David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He said he watched waste haulers back up to the pit and unleash torrents of watery muck.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.|David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In several reports he urged the pit operators to safeguard the birds.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.|David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Abarca allegedly battered Hernandez, who was then dumped in the pit.
Mexico’s First Lady of Murder Is on the Lam|Michael Daly|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With the management of these, however, the Earl of Pit Town did not trouble himself.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
At length the great Pit Town collection was housed as it deserved to be.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Old Pit Town knows lots of good people, and would give us letters, I suppose.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Certes le capitaine Merveilles et ses gens monstrerent leur pit non vulgaire.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
We never see such horrors now; and I actually envied Pit Town the possession of that picture.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

British Dictionary definitions for pit (1 of 3)

pit¹

/ (pɪt) /

noun

a large, usually deep opening in the ground

a mine or excavation with a shaft, esp for coal
the shaft in a mine
(as modifier)pit pony; pit prop

a concealed danger or difficulty

the pit hell

Also called: orchestra pit the area that is occupied by the orchestra in a theatre, located in front of the stage

an enclosure for fighting animals or birds, esp gamecocks

anatomy

a small natural depression on the surface of a body, organ, structure, or part; fossa
the floor of any natural bodily cavitythe pit of the stomach

pathol a small indented scar at the site of a former pustule; pockmark

any of various small areas in a plant cell wall that remain unthickened when the rest of the cell becomes lignified, esp the vascular tissue

a working area at the side of a motor-racing track for servicing or refuelling vehicles

a section on the floor of a commodity exchange devoted to a special line of trading

a rowdy card game in which players bid for commodities

an area of sand or other soft material at the end of a long-jump approach, behind the bar of a pole vault, etc, on which an athlete may land safely

the ground floor of the auditorium of a theatre

British a slang word for bed (def. 1), bedroom (def. 1)

another word for pitfall (def. 2)

verb pits, pitting or pitted

(tr often foll by against) to match in opposition, esp as antagonists

to mark or become marked with pits

(tr) to place or bury in a pit

Word Origin for pit

Old English pytt, from Latin puteus; compare Old French pet, Old High German pfuzzi

British Dictionary definitions for pit (2 of 3)

pit²

/ (pɪt) mainly US and Canadian /

noun

the stone of a cherry, plum, etc

verb pits, pitting or pitted

(tr) to extract the stone from (a fruit)

Word Origin for pit

C19: from Dutch: kernel; compare pith

British Dictionary definitions for pit (3 of 3)

pit³

/ (pɪt) /

verb

a Scot word for put

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

Scientific definitions for pit

pit

[ pĭt ]

The hard, inner layer (the endocarp) of certain drupes that are valued for their flesh, such as peaches, cherries, or olives. Not in scientific use.

Other Idioms and Phrases with pit

pit

In addition to the idiom beginning with pit

pit against

also see:

the pits

pit

OTHER WORDS FOR pit

Origin of pit

Words nearby pit

Other definitions for pit (2 of 2)

Origin of pit

Words related to pit

How to use pit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pit (1 of 3)

Word Origin for pit

British Dictionary definitions for pit (2 of 3)

Word Origin for pit

British Dictionary definitions for pit (3 of 3)

Scientific definitions for pit

Other Idioms and Phrases with pit