pit

/pit/
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pit

A miner works in the coal pit.

Definition

  1. Noun:

    • A large hole in the ground: A pit is a sizeable hole or cavity, especially one that is dug or naturally formed in the earth.
    • A sunken or hollow area: A pit can be a natural or man-made depression or concavity in a surface.
    • An enclosed area for fighting: Historically, a pit is an enclosure where animals (like dogs or cocks) are made to fight.
    • The area beside a racetrack: In motor racing, the pit is the area where cars are serviced, refueled, and repaired during a race.
    • The seating area in a theater: In a theater, the pit is the lowered area in front of the stage, often where the orchestra sits.
    • A mine or quarry: A pit can refer to a place where materials like coal, stone, or slate are extracted from the earth.
    • (Often "the pit") Hell or a place of evil: In religious or literary contexts, "the pit" can symbolize hell or a place of damnation and suffering.

  2. Verb:

    • To set into opposition or rivalry: To pit one person or group against another is to set them in competition or conflict.
    • To mark with small hollows or scars: To pit a surface is to mark it with small indentations or scars, often as a result of disease or damage.
    • To remove the stone from a fruit: To pit a fruit is to remove its hard inner seed or stone.
Examples of Usage

  • Noun:

    • They dug a deep pit to bury the treasure.
    • The surface of the moon is covered with craters and pits.
    • The mechanic rushed the car into the pit for a tire change.
    • The orchestra sat in the pit below the stage.
    • He worked in a coal pit for twenty years.
    • The preacher warned of sinners being cast into the fiery pit.

  • Verb:

    • The tournament will pit the national champion against the top international players.
    • His face was pitted with scars from a childhood illness.
    • Remember to pit the cherries before adding them to the pie.
Advanced Usage
  • "to be the pits" (idiom, informal): to be very bad, unpleasant, or of the worst quality.
    • This weather is the pits; it's been raining for a week straight.
  • "pit stop": a brief stop during a journey, especially in motor racing, for refueling or repairs; by extension, any quick stop.
    • Let's make a pit stop for coffee before we continue driving.
Variants and Related Words
  • Pitfall (n): A hidden or unsuspected danger or difficulty. (e.g., )
  • Pitted (adj): Marked with small hollows or indentations. (e.g., )
  • Armpit (n): The hollow under the arm at the shoulder.
  • Pit bull (n): A type of dog.
Synonyms
  • Noun (hole): Hole, cavity, crater, hollow, excavation.
  • Noun (mine): Mine, quarry, excavation.
  • Verb (oppose): Match, oppose, set against, rival.
  • Verb (mark): Scar, mark, indent.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Pit against: To set someone or something in competition or conflict with another.
    • The movie pits good against evil in an epic battle.
  • Pit out (rare, specific to racing): To exit the pit area and return to the racetrack.
    • The leader pitted out just ahead of his rival.
Related Idioms
  • A bottomless pit: Something that seems to have no limit, especially in consuming resources.
    • Funding this project is like pouring money into a bottomless pit.
  • Pit of one's stomach: Refers to the area in the upper abdomen, often associated with feelings of anxiety or dread.
    • A feeling of dread settled in the pit of my stomach.
pit

A miner works in the coal pit.

Noun
  1. a workplace consisting of a coal mine plus all the buildings and equipment connected with it
  2. lowered area in front of a stage where an orchestra accompanies the performers
  3. a surface excavation for extracting stone or slate
    • a British term for `quarry' is `stone pit'
  4. a trap in the form of a concealed hole
  5. (auto racing) an area at the side of a racetrack where the race cars are serviced and refueled
  6. (commodity exchange) the part of the floor of a commodity exchange where trading in a particular commodity is carried on
  7. an enclosure in which animals are made to fight
  8. (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
  9. 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
  10. a concavity in a surface (especially an anatomical depression)
  11. a sizeable hole (usually in the ground)
    • they dug a pit to bury the body
Verb
  1. remove the pits from
    • pit plums and cherries
  2. mark with a scar
    • The skin disease scarred his face permanently
  3. 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

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