pit bull

Informal, pit·tie
Or pit·bull

[pit bool]

noun

1. a stocky, muscular dog with a broad skull and a smooth coat, belonging to an informal category of purebred and mixed-breed dogs that includes the American Staffordshire terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier, and sometimes the American bulldog or boxer.

2. Also called American pit bull terrier. American Staffordshire terrier.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pit bull¹

First recorded in 1925–30; pit ¹ ( def. ) (in the sense “enclosure for staging animal fights”) + bull(dog) ( def. )

Example Sentences

The 1991 Act had already banned the ownership of four breeds - the pit bull terrier, the Japanese tosa, dogo argentino and fila brasileiro.

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Borbe sent videos of the black pit bull he was selling, a two-year-old named Ruby, to display what is known as its gameness - the determination of a dog to fight in the pit.

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The American pit bull terriers are strong, faithful companions who’ve gotten a bad rap.

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“It’s hard to stop a pit bull once you get going,” Adams said.

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In just one moment, she is reduced to an aggressive, rescue pit bull and nothing more.

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