pit

Plural: pits

Noun

• a sizeable hole (usually in the ground)
  • "they dug a pit to bury the body"
• a concavity in a surface (especially an anatomical depression)
• the hard inner (usually woody) layer of the pericarp of some fruits (as peaches or plums or cherries or olives) that contains the seed
• (Christianity) the abode of Satan and the forces of evil; where sinners suffer eternal punishment; - John Milton; ; -Dr. Johnson
  • "a demon from the depths of the pit"
• an enclosure in which animals are made to fight
• (commodity exchange) the part of the floor of a commodity exchange where trading in a particular commodity is carried on
• (auto racing) an area at the side of a racetrack where the race cars are serviced and refueled
• a trap in the form of a concealed hole
• a surface excavation for extracting stone or slate
  • "a British term for `quarry' is `stone pit'"
• lowered area in front of a stage where an orchestra accompanies the performers
• a workplace consisting of a coal mine plus all the buildings and equipment connected with it
• A hole in the ground.
• An area at a racetrack used for refueling and repairing the vehicles during a race.
• The section of a marching band containing mallet percussion instruments and other large percussion instruments too large to be marched, such as the tam-tam; the front ensemble. Can also refer to the area on the sidelines where these instruments are placed.
• A mine.
• A hole or trench in the ground, excavated according to grid coordinates, so that the provenance of any feature observed and any specimen or artifact revealed may be established by precise measurement.
• A trading pit.
• An armpit.
• A luggage hold.
• A small surface hole or depression, a fossa.
• The indented mark left by a pustule, as in smallpox.
• The grave, underworld or Hell.
• An enclosed area into which gamecocks, dogs, and other animals are brought to fight, or where dogs are trained to kill rats.
• Formerly, that part of a theatre, on the floor of the house, below the level of the stage and behind the orchestra; now, in England, commonly the part behind the stalls; in the United States, the parquet; also, the occupants of such a part of a theatre.
• Part of a casino which typically holds tables for blackjack, craps, roulette, and other games.
• Only used in the pits.
• A mosh pit.
• The center of the line.
• The emergency department of a hospital.
• In tracheary elements, a section of the cell wall where the secondary wall is missing, and the primary wall is present. Pits generally occur in pairs and link two cells.
• A bed.
• An undesirable location, especially an unclean one.
• A bleak, depressing state of mind.
• Short for dish pit
• On a compact disc or similar recording medium, a tiny sunken area representing part of the encoded data.
• A seed inside a fruit; a stone or pip inside a fruit.
• The core of an implosion nuclear weapon, consisting of the fissile material and any neutron reflector or tamper bonded to it.
• A pit bull terrier.

Verb

Verb Forms: pitted, pitting, pits

• To mark with or form cavities or depressions.
• set into opposition or rivalry
  • "pit a chess player against the Russian champion"
• mark with a scar
• remove the pits from
  • "pit plums and cherries"
• To make pits in; to mark with little hollows.
• To put (an animal) into a pit for fighting.
• To bring (something) into opposition with something else.
• To return to the pits during a race for refuelling, tyre changes, repairs etc.
• To remove the stone from a stone fruit or the shell from a drupe.

Examples

• Are you ready to pit your wits against one of the world's greatest puzzles?
• Because the museum was closed for renovation, the school decided to bring its fourth-graders to the pit at a Cannibal Corpse gig instead.
• Exposure to acid rain pitted the metal.
• Get back to the pit, dish bitch!
• He tried to PIT my strategy by blocking my prime spots, but I found new angles.
• He was in a pit of despair.
• His circus job was the pits, but at least he was in show business.
• One must pit a peach to make it ready for a pie.
• The meadow around the town is full of old pits.
• This house is a total pit. We've got to do some cleaning!
• Two drivers have already gone into the pit this early in the race.

Synonyms

cavity, colliery, endocarp, fossa, Hell, infernal region, Inferno, mark, match, nether region, oppose, orchestra pit, perdition, pitfall, play off, pock, quarry, scar, stone, stone pit, ;, pibble, pit bull, pittie, pyrena, pyrene, seed pit, shitbull, velvet hippo

Antonyms

Heaven, land

Related Words

pit-a-pat