pitch

[ pich ]

/ pɪtʃ /

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See synonyms for: pitch / pitched / pitching on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to erect or set up (a tent, camp, or the like).

to put, set, or plant in a fixed or definite place or position.

to throw, fling, hurl, or toss.

Baseball.

to deliver or serve (the ball) to the batter.
to fill the position of pitcher in (a game): He pitched a no-hitter. He pitched a good game.
to choose or assign as a pitcher for a game: The manager pitched Greene the next night.

to set at a certain point, degree, level, etc.: He pitched his hopes too high.

Music. to set at a particular pitch, or determine the key or keynote of (a melody).

Cards.

to lead (a card of a particular suit), thereby fixing that suit as trump.
to determine (the trump) in this manner.

to pave or revet with small stones.

Masonry.

to square (a stone), cutting the arrises true with a chisel.
to cut with a chisel.

Informal. to attempt to sell or win approval for; promote; advertise: to pitch breakfast foods at a sales convention.

Informal. to approach or court (as a person, company, or the public) in hope of a sale, approval, or interest; make an appeal to.

to cause to pitch.

Obsolete. to set in order; to arrange, as a field of battle.

Obsolete. to fix firmly as in the ground; embed.

verb (used without object)

to plunge or fall forward or headlong.

to lurch.

to throw or toss.

Baseball.

to deliver or serve the ball to the batter.
to fill the position of pitcher He pitched for the Mets last year.

to slope downward; dip.

to plunge with alternate fall and rise of bow and stern, as a ship (opposed to roll).

(of a rocket or guided missile) to deviate from a stable flight attitude by oscillations of the longitudinal axis in a vertical plane about the center of gravity.

to fix a tent or temporary habitation; encamp: They pitched by a mountain stream.

Golf. to play a pitch shot.

Informal. to attempt to sell or win approval for something or someone by advertising, promotion, etc.: politicians pitching on TV.

Rare. to become established; settle down.

noun

relative point, position, or degree: a high pitch of excitement.

the degree of inclination or slope; angle: the pitch of an arch; the pitch of a stair.

the highest point or greatest height: enjoying the pitch of success.

(in music, speech, etc.) the degree of height or depth of a tone or of sound, depending upon the relative rapidity of the vibrations by which it is produced.

Music. the particular tonal standard with which given tones may be compared in respect to their relative level.

Acoustics. the apparent predominant frequency sounded by an acoustical source.

act or manner of pitching.

a throw or toss.

Baseball. the serving of the ball to the batter by the pitcher, usually preceded by a windup or stretch.

a pitching movement or forward plunge, as of a ship.

upward or downward inclination or slope: a road descending at a steep pitch.

a sloping part or place: to build on the pitch of a hill.

a quantity of something pitched or placed somewhere.

Cricket. the central part of the field; the area between the wickets.

Informal.

an often high-pressured talk or message intended to sell or win approval for something: a sales pitch for a new product;an email pitch to gain support for a proposal.
a specific plan of action; angle: to tackle a problem again, using a new pitch.

the specific location in which a person or object is placed or stationed; allotted or assigned place.

Chiefly British. the established location, often a street corner, of a beggar, street peddler, newspaper vendor, etc.

Aeronautics.

the nosing of an airplane or spacecraft up or down about a transverse axis.
the distance that a given propeller would advance in one revolution.

(of a rocket or guided missile)

the motion due to pitching.
the extent of the rotation of the longitudinal axis involved in pitching.

Also called plunge .Geology. the inclination of a linear feature, as the axis of a fold or an oreshoot, from the horizontal.

Machinery.

the distance between the corresponding surfaces of two adjacent gear teeth measured either along the pitch circle (circular pitch ) or between perpendiculars to the root surfaces (normal pitch ).
the ratio of the number of teeth in a gear or splined shaft to the pitch circle diameter, expressed in inches.
the distance between any two adjacent things in a series, as screw threads, rivets, etc.

(in carpet weaving) the weftwise number of warp ends, usually determined in relation to 27 inches (68.6 centimeters).

Cards.

Masonry. a true or even surface on a stone.

(of typewriter type) a unit of measurement indicating the number of characters to a horizontal inch: Pica is a 10-pitch type.

Verb Phrases

pitch in, Informal.

to begin to work in earnest and vigorously: If I really pitch in, I may be able to finish the paper before the deadline.
to contribute to a common cause; join in: When they took up a collection for the annual dinner, he promised to pitch in.

pitch into, Informal.

to attack verbally or physically: He apologized for pitching into me yesterday.
to begin to work on vigorously.

pitch on / upon to choose, especially casually or without forethought; decide on: We pitched on a day for our picnic.

QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of pitch

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb picchen, piche(n), pitche “to thrust, pierce, set, set up (a tent, etc.), array, throw”; perhaps from Old English pícian, piccan, piccean (unattested) “to prick,” or akin to pick¹; noun derivative of the verb

synonym study for pitch

3. See throw.

OTHER WORDS FROM pitch

pitch·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby pitch

pitaya, pit boss, pit bull, pit bull terrier, Pitcairn Island, pitch, pitch accent, pitch-and-putt, pitch-and-run shot, pitch-and-toss, pitchbend

Other definitions for pitch (2 of 2)

pitch²

[ pich ]

/ pɪtʃ /

noun

any of various dark, tenacious, and viscous substances for caulking and paving, consisting of the residue of the distillation of coal tar or wood tar.

any of certain bitumens, as asphalt: mineral pitch.

any of various resins.

the sap or crude turpentine that exudes from the bark of pines.

verb (used with object)

to smear or cover with pitch.

Origin of pitch

First recorded before 900; Middle English pich(e), Old English pic, from Latin pic- (stem of pix ), whence also Dutch pek, German Pech; akin to Greek píssa, pítta “pitch”

OTHER WORDS FROM pitch

pitchlike, adjective

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

MORE ABOUT PITCH

What is a basic definition of pitch?

Pitch means to set up a tent or similar structure, to throw something, or to promote something. Pitch has many other senses as a verb and a noun.

When you pitch a tent, you are setting or standing it up. Relatedly, pitch also means to insert something into the ground, such as tent pegs.

Used in a sentence: The knight pitched his sword into the ground and collapsed.

Pitch is also used to mean to throw or fling something. Pitch is used in baseball to specifically mean to throw the ball toward the batter while standing on the mound. The player who throws the ball is called the pitcher.

Used in a sentence: I pitched the ball of paper into the garbage.

Pitch can also mean to try to get somebody to buy or accept something or to advertise something. This often involves trying to make whatever is being pitched sound great.

Real-life examples: Writers pitch stories to editors, who get to decide which stories actually get published. Employees will pitch ideas to their boss. Salespeople sometimes aggressively pitch products to potential customers.
Used in a sentence: We pitched our idea for a new TV show to the network, but I don’t think they liked it.

Pitch is also used in this sense to refer to an aggressive attempt at trying to persuade someone.

Used in a sentence: We listened to the insurance agent’s sales pitch.

Where does pitch come from?

The first records of pitch come from around 1175. It comes from the Middle English picchen, meaning “to thrust,” “to pierce” or “to set up (a tent).”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to pitch?

pitcher (noun)
pitchable (adjective)
pitchlike (adjective)

What are some synonyms for pitch?

What are some words that share a root or word element with pitch?

What are some words that often get used in discussing pitch?

How is pitch used in real life?

Pitch is a common word that most often means to throw something or to advertise something.

Okay so tonight I pitched my cat idea to husband and I was super nervous because he didn’t really want to get another pet but… HE AGREED 😺😻😻😻😻😻😻 we’re going to go check out our local shelter next week!!!!

— 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝙱 ☕️📖 (@ParisandProse_) January 4, 2021

A mom who thought her toddler had too much parade candy just pitched it across the street at other kids. #multnomahdays

— Amy Wang (@ORAmyW) August 16, 2014

With THE GREAT GATSBY entering public domain tomorrow, here’s my pitch for a Gatsbyverse film franchise:

2022: GATSBYMAN: When exposed to a mysterious green light, a young man develops the ability to incapacitate enemies by firing fusillades of bespoke dress shirts at them.

— Glen Weldon (@ghweldon) December 31, 2020

Try using pitch!

Is pitch used correctly in the following sentence?

After the show was over, we carefully pitched the circus tent and put all of the pieces of the collapsed tent back into the truck.

How to use pitch in a sentence

The TV networks’ pitches, however, were buoyed by their respective streaming platforms.
How the future of TV and streaming has – and hasn’t – been reshaped so far by 2020|Tim Peterson|September 16, 2020|Digiday
To that end, the company is aiming its pitch at agencies that will then identify particular clients to advertise on the service.
WarnerMedia eyes spring debut for HBO Max’s ad-supported tier|Tim Peterson|September 10, 2020|Digiday
The proposition and pitch describe a more comprehensive and brand-conscious “omnichannel” marketing platform that can tie online and offline performance data together.
InMarket buys NinthDecimal to compete with Foursquare more effectively|Greg Sterling|September 9, 2020|Search Engine Land
Also, we don’t really have the resources it takes to go on a six-month pitch process being run by a pitch consultant from a spreadsheet.
‘We don’t have the burden of traditional media’: Confessions of an upstart agency holding group MD|Seb Joseph|September 7, 2020|Digiday

If a pitch is focused on obscure technology, instead of what that technology accomplishes, it’s a red flag.
HBO’s new sex cult doc has big lessons for investors|dzanemorris|September 2, 2020|Fortune
If the pitch remains the same but the seat becomes slimmer, the result should be more body room, right?
Flying Coach Is the New Hell: How Airlines Engineer You Out of Room|Clive Irving|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the same cabin, the business class has flat beds with a 70-inch pitch.
Flying Coach Is the New Hell: How Airlines Engineer You Out of Room|Clive Irving|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What results is a kind of mashup concert, a virtuoso mixed-media DJ set tuned to a keen emotional pitch.
War Is About More Than Heroes, Martyrs, and Patriots|Nathan Bradley Bethea|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Media reports confirm that Gardner made a significant pitch to Hispanic voters in both English and Spanish.
Latinos Aren’t a ‘Cheap Date’ for Democrats Anymore|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ebola will fade enough for the Democrats to make this pitch by next week.
The Only Way for Democrats to Win|Jonathan Alter|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Practise gliding in the form of inflection, or slide, from one extreme of pitch to another.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
What the ear hears is the fundamental pitch only; the overtones harmonize with the primary or fundamental tone, and enrich it.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
It will be remembered that pitch depends upon the rapidity of the sound waves or vibrations.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The medium pitch expresses warmth, emotion, and the heart qualities.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The high pitch represents mentality, the esthetic phases of beauty, and much brilliancy.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick

British Dictionary definitions for pitch (1 of 2)

pitch¹

/ (pɪtʃ) /

verb

to hurl or throw (something); cast; fling

(usually tr) to set up (a camp, tent, etc)

(tr) to place or thrust (a stake, spear, etc) into the ground

(intr) to move vigorously or irregularly to and fro or up and down

(tr) to aim or fix (something) at a particular level, position, style, etcif you advertise privately you may pitch the price too low

(tr) to aim to sell (a product) to a specified market or on a specified basis

(intr) to slope downwards

(intr) to fall forwards or downwards

(intr) (of a vessel) to dip and raise its bow and stern alternately

cricket to bowl (a ball) so that it bounces on a certain part of the wicket, or (of a ball) to bounce on a certain part of the wicket

(intr) (of a missile, aircraft, etc) to deviate from a stable flight attitude by movement of the longitudinal axis about the lateral axisCompare yaw (def. 1), roll (def. 14)

(tr) (in golf) to hit (a ball) steeply into the air, esp with backspin to minimize roll

(tr) music

to sing or play accurately (a note, interval, etc)
(usually passive) (of a wind instrument) to specify or indicate its basic key or harmonic series by its size, manufacture, etc

(tr) cards to lead (a suit) and so determine trumps for that trick

baseball

(tr) to throw (a baseball) to a batter
(intr) to act as pitcher in a baseball game

Southwest English dialect (used with it as subject) to snow without the settled snow melting

in there pitching US and Canadian informal taking part with enthusiasm

pitch a tale or pitch a yarn to tell a story, usually of a fantastic nature

noun

the degree of elevation or depression

the angle of descent of a downward slope
such a slope

the extreme height or depth

mountaineering a section of a route between two belay points, sometimes equal to the full length of the rope but often shorter

the degree of slope of a roof, esp when expressed as a ratio of height to span

the distance between corresponding points on adjacent members of a body of regular form, esp the distance between teeth on a gearwheel or between threads on a screw thread

the distance between regularly spaced objects such as rivets, bolts, etc

the pitching motion of a ship, missile, etc

the distance a propeller advances in one revolution, assuming no slip
the blade angle of a propeller or rotor

the distance between the back rest of a seat in a passenger aircraft and the back of the seat in front of it

music

the auditory property of a note that is conditioned by its frequency relative to other noteshigh pitch; low pitch
an absolute frequency assigned to a specific note, fixing the relative frequencies of all other notes. The fundamental frequencies of the notes A–G, in accordance with the frequency A = 440 hertz, were internationally standardized and accepted in 1939See also concert pitch (def. 1), international pitch

cricket the rectangular area between the stumps, 22 yards long and 10 feet wide; the wicket

geology the inclination of the axis of an anticline or syncline or of a stratum or vein from the horizontal

another name for seven-up

the act or manner of pitching a ball, as in cricket

mainly British a vendor's station, esp on a pavement

slang a persuasive sales talk, esp one routinely repeated

mainly British (in many sports) the field of play

Also called: pitch shot golf an approach shot in which the ball is struck in a high arc

make a pitch for US and Canadian slang

to give verbal support to
to attempt to attract (someone) sexually or romantically

queer someone's pitch British informal to upset someone's plans

Word Origin for pitch

C13 picchen; possibly related to pick 1

British Dictionary definitions for pitch (2 of 2)

pitch²

/ (pɪtʃ) /

noun

any of various heavy dark viscid substances obtained as a residue from the distillation of tarsSee also coal-tar pitch

any of various similar substances, such as asphalt, occurring as natural deposits

any of various similar substances obtained by distilling certain organic substances so that they are incompletely carbonized

crude turpentine obtained as sap from pine treesRelated adjective: piceous

verb

(tr) to apply pitch to (something)

Word Origin for pitch

Old English pic, from Latin pix

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 pitch

pitch

[ pĭch ]

A thick, tarlike substance obtained by distilling coal tar, used for roofing, waterproofing, and paving.

Any of various natural bitumens, such as asphalt, having similar uses.

A resin derived from the sap of a cone-bearing tree, such as a pine.

Other Idioms and Phrases with pitch

pitch

In addition to the idioms beginning with pitch

pitched battle, a
pitch in
pitch into
pitch on
pitch woo

also see:

black as night (pitch)
in there pitching
make a pitch for
sales pitch
wild pitch

pitch

Origin of pitch

synonym study for pitch

OTHER WORDS FROM pitch

Words nearby pitch

Other definitions for pitch (2 of 2)

Origin of pitch

OTHER WORDS FROM pitch

MORE ABOUT PITCH

What is a basic definition of pitch?

Where does pitch come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is pitch used in real life?

Try using pitch!

Words related to pitch

How to use pitch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pitch (1 of 2)

Word Origin for pitch

British Dictionary definitions for pitch (2 of 2)

Word Origin for pitch

Scientific definitions for pitch

Other Idioms and Phrases with pitch