Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
 
Help
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

Pit

 - 16 dictionary results

pit

1  [pit] noun, verb, pit⋅ted, pit⋅ting.
Use Pit in a Sentence
–noun
1. a naturally formed or excavated hole or cavity in the ground: pits caused by erosion; clay pits.
2. a covered or concealed excavation in the ground, serving as a trap.
3. Mining.
a. an excavation made in exploring for or removing a mineral deposit, as by open-cut methods.
b. the shaft of a coal mine.
c. the mine itself.
4. the abode of evil spirits and lost souls; hell: an evil inspiration from the pit.
5. the pits, Slang. an extremely unpleasant, boring, or depressing place, condition, person, etc.; the absolute worst: When you're alone, Christmas is the pits.
6. a hollow or indentation in a surface: glass flawed by pits.
7. a natural hollow or depression in the body: the pit of the back.
8. pits, Informal. the armpits: up to my pits in work.
9. a small, depressed scar, as one of those left on the skin after smallpox or chicken pox.
10. an enclosure, usually below the level of the spectators, as for staging fights between dogs, cocks, or, formerly, bears.
11. (in a commodity exchange) a part of the floor of the exchange where trading in a particular commodity takes place: the corn pit.
12. Architecture.
a. all that part of the main floor of a theater behind the musicians.
b. British. the main floor of a theater behind the stalls.
c. orchestra (def. 2a).
13. (in a hoistway) a space below the level of the lowest floor served.
14. Auto Racing. an area at the side of a track, for servicing and refueling the cars.
15. Bowling. the sunken area of a bowling alley behind the pins, for the placement or recovery of pins that have been knocked down.
16. Track. the area forward of the takeoff point in a jumping event, as the broad jump or pole vault, that is filled with sawdust or soft earth to lessen the force of the jumper's landing.
17. the area or room of a casino containing gambling tables.
–verb (used with object)
18. to mark or indent with pits or depressions: ground pitted by erosion.
19. to scar with pockmarks: His forehead was pitted by chicken pox.
20. to place or bury in a pit, as for storage.
21. to set in opposition or combat, as one against another.
22. to put (animals) in a pit or enclosure for fighting.
–verb (used without object)
23. to become marked with pits or depressions.
24. (of body tissue) to retain temporarily a mark of pressure, as by a finger, instrument, etc.
Origin:
bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE pytt < L puteus well, pit, shaft; (v.) deriv. of the n.

Synonyms:
21. match, oppose.

pit

2  [pit] noun, verb, pit⋅ted, pit⋅ting. Chiefly Northern U.S.
–noun
1. the stone of a fruit, as of a cherry, peach, or plum.
–verb (used with object)
2. to remove the pit from (a fruit or fruits): to pit cherries for a pie.
Origin:
1835–45, Americanism; < D: kernel; c. pith

Pit River

  [pit]
–noun
a river in N California, flowing S and W from the Modoc Plateau to the Sacramento River. 200 mi. (320 km) long.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Pit
pit 1   (pĭt)   
n.  

  1. A natural or artificial hole or cavity in the ground.

    1. An excavation for the removal of mineral deposits; a mine.

    2. The shaft of a mine.

    3. Hell.

    4. A miserable or depressing place or situation.

    5. pits Slang The worst. Used with the: "New York politics are the pits" (Washington Star).

    6. A natural hollow or depression in the body or an organ.

    7. A small indented scar left in the skin by smallpox or other eruptive disease; a pockmark.

    8. Informal An armpit. Often used in the plural.

    9. The section directly in front of and below the stage of a theater, in which the musicians sit.

    10. Chiefly British The ground floor of a theater behind the stalls.

    11. The section of an exchange where trading in a specific commodity is carried on.

    12. The gambling area of a casino.

    13. A sunken area in a garage floor from which mechanics may work on cars.

    14. Sports An area beside an auto racecourse where cars may be refueled or serviced during a race. Used with the. Often used in the plural.

  3. A concealed hole in the ground used as a trap; a pitfall.

    1. Hell.

    2. A miserable or depressing place or situation.

    3. pits Slang The worst. Used with the: "New York politics are the pits" (Washington Star).

    4. A natural hollow or depression in the body or an organ.

    5. A small indented scar left in the skin by smallpox or other eruptive disease; a pockmark.

    6. Informal An armpit. Often used in the plural.

    7. The section directly in front of and below the stage of a theater, in which the musicians sit.

    8. Chiefly British The ground floor of a theater behind the stalls.

    9. The section of an exchange where trading in a specific commodity is carried on.

    10. The gambling area of a casino.

    11. A sunken area in a garage floor from which mechanics may work on cars.

    12. Sports An area beside an auto racecourse where cars may be refueled or serviced during a race. Used with the. Often used in the plural.

  5. A small indentation in a surface: pits in a windshield.

    1. A natural hollow or depression in the body or an organ.

    2. A small indented scar left in the skin by smallpox or other eruptive disease; a pockmark.

    3. Informal An armpit. Often used in the plural.

    4. The section directly in front of and below the stage of a theater, in which the musicians sit.

    5. Chiefly British The ground floor of a theater behind the stalls.

    6. The section of an exchange where trading in a specific commodity is carried on.

    7. The gambling area of a casino.

    8. A sunken area in a garage floor from which mechanics may work on cars.

    9. Sports An area beside an auto racecourse where cars may be refueled or serviced during a race. Used with the. Often used in the plural.

  7. An enclosed, usually sunken area in which animals, such as dogs or gamecocks, are placed for fighting.

    1. The section directly in front of and below the stage of a theater, in which the musicians sit.

    2. Chiefly British The ground floor of a theater behind the stalls.

    3. The section of an exchange where trading in a specific commodity is carried on.

    4. The gambling area of a casino.

    5. A sunken area in a garage floor from which mechanics may work on cars.

    6. Sports An area beside an auto racecourse where cars may be refueled or serviced during a race. Used with the. Often used in the plural.

    1. The section of an exchange where trading in a specific commodity is carried on.

    2. The gambling area of a casino.

    3. A sunken area in a garage floor from which mechanics may work on cars.

    4. Sports An area beside an auto racecourse where cars may be refueled or serviced during a race. Used with the. Often used in the plural.

    1. A sunken area in a garage floor from which mechanics may work on cars.

    2. Sports An area beside an auto racecourse where cars may be refueled or serviced during a race. Used with the. Often used in the plural.

  11. Football The middle areas of the defensive and offensive lines.

  12. Botany A cavity in the wall of a plant cell where there is no secondary wall, as in fibers, tracheids, and vessels.

v.   pit·ted, pit·ting, pits

v.   tr.

  1. To mark with cavities, depressions, or scars: a surface pitted with craters.

  2. To set in direct opposition or competition: a war that pitted brother against brother.

  3. To place, bury, or store in a pit.

v.   intr.

  1. To become marked with pits.

  2. To retain an impression after being indented. Used of the skin.

  3. To stop at a refueling area during an auto race.


[Middle English, from Old English pytt, ultimately from Latin puteus, well; see pau-2 in Indo-European roots.]
pit 2   (pĭt)   
n.  The single central kernel or stone of certain fruits, such as a peach or cherry.
tr.v.   pit·ted, pit·ting, pits
To extract the pit from (a fruit).

[Dutch, from Middle Dutch.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

pit  (1)
"hole," O.E. pytt "water hole, pit," from W.Gmc. *puttjaz "pool, puddle" (cf. O.E. putti, O.N. pyttr, Du. put, Ger. Pfütze), early borrowing from L. puteus "well, pit, shaft." Meaning "abode of evil spirits, hell" is attested from c.1225. The verb meaning "set against, oppose," is first recorded 1760, from the pit (1568) where cock fights and dog fights were held (cf. Pit-bull terrier first recorded 1945). This is also the notion behind the meaning "the part of a theater on the floor of the house" (1649). Pit of the stomach (1651) is from the slight depression there between the ribs. Pits "the worst," first attested 1953, U.S. slang, said to be a shortened form of armpits.

pit  (2)
"hard seed," 1841, from Du. pit "kernel, seed, marrow," from M.Du. pitte, ult. from W.Gmc. *pithan-, source of Eng. pith (q.v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Financial Dictionary

Pit

A specific area of the trading floor that is designated for the trading of an individual futures or options contract.

Investopedia Commentary

You've probably seen pictures of traders wildly thrashing their arms and yelling orders in the trading pit. Although it may look like a poorly coordinated Village People concert, there is actual trading going on.

Related Links

Understanding Order Execution
Options Basics Tutorial
Futures Fundamentals

See also: Open Outcry, Rings

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
Cite This Source
Financial Dictionary

pit

A location on a commodities exchange trading floor where the futures of a particular commodity are traded. Also called ring.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1pit
Pronunciation: 'pit
Function: noun
: a hollow or indentation especially in a surface of an organism: as a : anatural hollow in the surface of the body b : one of the indented scars left in the skin by a pustular disease : POCKMARK c : a usually developmental imperfection in the enamel of a tooth that takes the form of a small pointed depression

Main Entry: 2pit
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: pit·ted; pit·ting
transitive senses
: to make pits in;especially : to scar or mark with pits pitted by acne> pit intransitive senses
: to become marked with pits; especially : to preserve for a time an indentation made by pressure pits readily —A. B. Wade>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

pit (pĭt)
n.

  1. A natural hollow or depression in the body or an organ.

  2. A pockmark.

  3. A sharp-pointed depression in the enamel surface of a tooth, caused by faulty or incomplete calcification or formed by the confluent point of two or more lobes of enamel.

v. pit·ted, pit·ting, pits

  1. To mark with cavities, depressions, or scars.

  2. To retain an impression after being indented. Used of the skin.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Computing Dictionary

PIT
Language for IBM 650. (See IT).

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
Cite This Source
Bible Dictionary

Pit

a hole in the ground (Ex. 21:33, 34), a cistern for water (Gen. 37:24; Jer. 14:3), a vault (41:9), a grave (Ps. 30:3). It is used as a figure for mischief (Ps. 9:15), and is the name given to the unseen place of woe (Rev. 20:1, 3). The slime-pits in the vale of Siddim were wells which yielded asphalt (Gen. 14:10).

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

pit

In addition to the idiom beginning with pit, also see the pits.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Abbreviations & Acronyms
PIT

  1. Greater Pittsburgh International Airport

  2. Pittsburgh Pirates

  3. Pittsburgh Steelers

The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see Pit on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way