pit stop
Americannoun
-
Auto Racing. a stop in the pits during a race, in which a competing car receives gasoline, a change of tires, or other servicing or repair.
-
Informal. any brief stop, as during a ride or trip in an automobile, so that one may get refreshments, use a restroom, etc.
-
a place where one makes such stops.
noun
-
motor racing a brief stop made at a pit by a racing car for repairs, refuelling, etc
-
informal any stop made during a car journey for refreshment, rest, or refuelling
Etymology
Origin of pit stop
First recorded in 1930–35
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.
One served as a "staging path" -- a kind of pit stop to route the agent's activity and cover its tracks -- and another as a place to store data.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Piastri had just been promoted back to second place by Antonelli's second pit stop when he lost use of his gearbox on lap 56 and pulled off after Turn Three.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Rudd and Banks could have shot their 20-second cameos as a pit stop on a grocery run, a brief thank-you to Wain for launching their comedy careers in 2001’s “Wet Hot American Summer.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Our trusty babysitter in the back—our dog Huckleberry—also needed to make a pit stop or two.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
But we made a pit stop in the dialysis unit first.
From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds
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.
