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.
(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.]
"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.
a sizeable hole (usually in the ground); "they dug a pit to bury the body"
2.
a concavity in a surface (especially an anatomical depression)
3.
the hard inner (usually woody) layer of the pericarp of some fruits (as peaches or plums or cherries or olives) that contains the seed; "you should remove the stones from prunes before cooking" [syn: stone]
4.
(Christianity) the abode of Satan and the forces of evil; where sinners suffer eternal punishment; "Hurl'd headlong...To bottomless perdition, there to dwell"- John Milton; "a demon from the depths of the pit"; "Hell is paved with good intentions"-Dr. Johnson [syn: Hell] [ant: heaven]
5.
an enclosure in which animals are made to fight
6.
(commodity exchange) the part of the floor of a commodity exchange where trading in a particular commodity is carried on
7.
(auto racing) an area at the side of a racetrack where the race cars are serviced and refueled
8.
a trap in the form of a concealed hole
9.
a surface excavation for extracting stone or slate; "a British term for 'quarry' is 'stone pit'"
10.
lowered area in front of a stage where an orchestra accompanies the performers [syn: orchestra pit]
11.
a workplace consisting of a coal mine plus all the buildings and equipment connected with it [syn: colliery]
verb
1.
set into opposition or rivalry; "let them match their best athletes against ours"; "pit a chess player against the Russian champion"; "He plays his two children off against each other"
2.
mark with a scar; "The skin disease scarred his face permanently" [syn: scar]
pitAudio Help (pĭt) Pronunciation Key
The hard, inner layer (the endocarp) of certain drupes that are valued for their flesh, such as peaches, cherries, or olives. Not in scientific use.
Pit\, n. [OE. pit, put, AS. pytt a pit, hole, L. puteus a well, pit.]1. A large cavity or hole in the ground, either natural or artificial; a cavity in the surface of a body; an indentation; specifically: (a) The shaft of a coal mine; a coal pit. (b) A large hole in the ground from which material is dug or quarried; as, a stone pit; a gravel pit; or in which material is made by burning; as, a lime pit; a charcoal pit. (c) A vat sunk in the ground; as, a tan pit. Tumble me into some loathsome pit. --Shak. 2. Any abyss; especially, the grave, or hades. Back to the infernal pit I drag thee chained. --Milton. He keepth back his soul from the pit. --Job xxxiii. 18. 3. A covered deep hole for entrapping wild beasts; a pitfall; hence, a trap; a snare. Also used figuratively. The anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits. --Lam. iv. 20. 4. A depression or hollow in the surface of the human body; as: (a) The hollow place under the shoulder or arm; the axilla, or armpit. (b) See Pit of the stomach (below). (c) The indentation or mark left by a pustule, as in smallpox. 5. Formerly, that part of a theater, 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 theater. 6. An inclosed area into which gamecocks, dogs, and other animals are brought to fight, or where dogs are trained to kill rats. "As fiercely as two gamecocks in the pit." --Locke. 7. [Cf. D. pit, akin to E. pith.] (Bot.) (a) The endocarp of a drupe, and its contained seed or seeds; a stone; as, a peach pit; a cherry pit, etc. (b) A depression or thin spot in the wall of a duct. Cold pit (Hort.), an excavation in the earth, lined with masonry or boards, and covered with glass, but not artificially heated, -- used in winter for the storing and protection of half-hardly plants, and sometimes in the spring as a forcing bed. Pit coal, coal dug from the earth; mineral coal. Pit frame, the framework over the shaft of a coal mine. Pit head, the surface of the ground at the mouth of a pit or mine. Pit kiln, an oven for coking coal. Pit martin (Zo["o]l.), the bank swallow. [Prov. Eng.] Pit of the stomach (Anat.), the depression on the middle line of the epigastric region of the abdomen at the lower end of the sternum; the infrasternal depression. Pit saw (Mech.), a saw worked by two men, one of whom stands on the log and the other beneath it. The place of the latter is often in a pit, whence the name. Pit viper (Zo["o]l.), any viperine snake having a deep pit on each side of the snout. The rattlesnake and copperhead are examples. Working pit (Min.), a shaft in which the ore is hoisted and the workmen carried; -- in distinction from a shaft used for the pumps.
Pit\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Pitting.]1. To place or put into a pit or hole. They lived like beasts, and were pitted like beasts, tumbled into the grave. --T. Grander. 2. To mark with little hollows, as by various pustules; as, a face pitted by smallpox. 3. To introduce as an antagonist; to set forward for or in a contest; as, to pit one dog against another.
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Audio Help [pit] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, pit·ted, pit·ting. 
