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pit¹ Definition

☆ pit (pit)

noun

the hard stone, as of the plum, peach, or cherry, which contains the seed

Etymology: Du < MDu pitte, akin to pith

transitive verb pit′·ted, pit′·ting

to remove the pit from (a fruit)

pit² Definition

pit (pit)

noun

  1. a hole or cavity in the ground
  2. an abyss
  3. hell: used with the
  4. a covered hole used to trap wild animals; pitfall
  5. any concealed danger; trap; snare
  6. an enclosed area in which animals are kept or made to fight a bear pit
    1. the shaft of a coal mine
    2. the coal mine itself
  8. a hollow or depression on a part of the human body armpit
  9. a small hollow in a surface; specif., a depressed scar on the skin, as that resulting from smallpox
  10. an area below floor level or ground level
  11. Brit.
    1. the ground floor of a theater, esp. the part at the rear
    2. the spectators in that section
  12. the section, often below floor level, in front of the stage, where the orchestra sits
  13. ☆ the part of the floor of an exchange where a special branch of business is transacted corn pit
  14. ☆
    1. a work area for mechanics, often below floor level, for repairing and servicing automotive vehicles
    2. the area along the side of a track where racing cars make their pit stops
  15. Bot. a tiny depression in a plant cell wall

Etymology: ME < OE pytt < early WGmc & NGmc *puttia (> ON pyttr, Ger pfütze) < L puteus, well, prob. < IE base *pēu-, to chop, cut > L pavire, to beat, strike

transitive verb pit′·ted, pit′·ting

  1. to put, cast, or store in a pit
  2. to make pits in
  3. to mark with small scars pitted by smallpox
  4. to set (cocks, etc.) in a pit to fight
  5. to set in competition (against)

intransitive verb

  1. to become marked with pits
  2. ☆ to make a pit stop during an auto race

pit² Idioms

the pits

  1. Slang the worst possible thing, place, condition, etc.
  2. ☆ pit ()

pit Synonyms

pit

n.

abyss, cavity, depression; see hole 2.

pit Finance Definition

The location of trading activity on futures or options exchanges that use open-outcry trading, a system in which traders shout out the prices they are willing to buy or sell contracts at. Around the pits are ascending steps, called rings, where support staff for traders stand.

pit Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • dig: Then the big work started, with several gangs of laborers digging deep pits at timed intervals.
  • excavate: They had thrown some herbs over the top, and one bunch had fallen into an excavated pit.
  • descend: To be reached to the active passage after descending 11m pit.
  • etch: Atomic Force Micrograph image of MgO ( 100 ) face etched in deionised water showing pyramidal etch pits.

Adjective modifier

  • bottomless: Eldon Hole near Peak Forest used to be feared as the entrance to a bottomless pit or even to Hell itself.
  • disused: On the hills southwest of Boxmoor station is a grass common called Rough Down, on which are two disused chalk pits.
  • shallow: Not a lot to see - some old walls; numerous shallow pits; spoil heaps.
  • rubbish: Judging by the contents of their rubbish pits, the villagers were living a comfortable existence under Roman rule.

Modifies a noun

  • bull: I think ( banning pit bulls ) is a public safety issue.
  • latrine: Construction, use and maintenance of pit latrines and refuse pits; environmental hygiene.
  • lane: Explore the exit of the pit lane to give just a little more room on approach.
  • pony: Comment from one of its supporters was ' My God, the pit pony has won ' !
  • closure: A few similar badge examples are known from the 1992 campaign against pit closures plus the 1972 miners strike.
  • terrier: On closer inspection he found an elderly woman being savaged and shaken by a crazed pit bull terrier.

Noun used with modifier

  • gravel: In 1983 they started excavating in the bottom of the gravel pit.
  • mosh: The mosh pit are world class for the first we just had.
  • cess: The sooner he skulks off into the cess pit he calls home the better.
  • slurry: Ensure suitable precautions are in place where appropriate, e.g. in restricted areas such as near slurry pits or where sick animals are isolated.
  • chalk: This small chalk pit lying deep within Thetford Forest has the largest colony of military orchid in Britain.
  • silage: They could even be standing underneath a silage pit, possibly even constructed with a European Union grant for poor rural areas.

Browse dictionary entries near pit

  1. ‹ pistou
  2. ‹ piston rod
  3. ‹ piston ring
  4. ‹ piston
  5. ‹ pistoleer
  6. ‹ pistole
  7. ‹ pistol-whip
  8. ‹ pistol
  9. ‹ pistillate
  10. ‹ pistil
  1. pit bull ›
  2. pit saw ›
  3. pit stop ›
  4. pit viper ›
  5. pita ›
  6. pitapat ›
  7. Pitcairn ›
  8. pitch ›
  9. pitch-black ›
  10. pitch circle ›