pithead

American

[pit-hed] / ˈpɪtˌhɛd /

noun

a mine entrance and the surrounding area.

pithead British

/ ˈpɪtˌhɛd /

noun

the top of a mine shaft and the buildings, hoisting gear, etc, situated around it

"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

Etymology

Origin of pithead

First recorded in 1830–40; pit ¹ + head

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.

The iconic image of Shaft XII’s pithead is scattered throughout the city of Essen as an unofficial trademark of the Ruhr region.

From Scientific American • Jan. 4, 2022

In view of the pithead, rail trucks bulging with the stuff rattle across the Hatfield estate, bound for Drax, Europe’s biggest coal-fired power-station.

From Economist • Jun. 25, 2015

The blast had brought the whole community to the pithead.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2013

Stacpoole house is in a queue that includes "the childhood home of Cilla Black, the pithead baths at Featherston, and the last children's library in the north-east".

From The Guardian • Nov. 21, 2012

I hauled down my old greasy working clothes, and went off to the pithead.

From Between You and Me by Lauder, Harry, Sir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023