pit
♦ pit /p'ɪt/ (pits pitting pitted)
1 [N-COUNT]
A pit is a coal mine.
It was a better community then when all the pits were working.
2 [N-COUNT]
A pit is a large hole that is dug in the ground.
Eric lost his footing and began to slide into the pit.
3 [N-COUNT] supp N
A gravel pit or clay pit is a very large hole that is left where gravel or clay has been dug from the ground.
This area of former farmland was worked as a gravel pit until 1964.
4 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed against n, V-ed
If two opposing things or people are pitted against one another, they are in conflict.
You will be pitted against people who are every bit as good as you are...
This was one man pitted against the universe.
5 [N-PLURAL] usu pl
In motor racing, the pits are the areas at the side of the track where drivers stop to get more fuel and to repair their cars during races.
see also pit stop
6 [N-PLURAL] the N
If you describe something as the pits, you mean that it is extremely bad. (SPOKEN)
Mary Ann asked him how dinner had been. `The pits,' he replied.
7 [N-COUNT]
A pit is the stone of a fruit or vegetable. (AM)
8
see also pitted, fleapit, sandpit, sandpit
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you pit your wits against someone, you compete with them in a test of knowledge or intelligence.
I'd like to pit my wits against the best.
10 [PHRASE]
If you have a feeling in the pit of your stomach, you have a tight or sick feeling in your stomach, usually because you are afraid or anxious.
I had a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.
11
a bottomless pit: see bottomlessopen pit (open pits)
[N-COUNT]
An open pit is a mine where the coal, metal, or minerals are near the surface and underground passages are not needed. (AM; in BRIT, use opencast mine)
= strip mineor|ches|tra pit
[N-SING]
In a theatre, the orchestra pit is the space reserved for the musicians playing the music for an opera, musical, or ballet, immediately in front of or below the stage.pit bull ter|ri|er (pit bull terriers)
[N-COUNT]
A pit bull terrier or a pit bull is a very fierce kind of dog. Some people train pit bull terriers to fight other dogs.pit stop (pit stops)
[N-COUNT]
In motor racing, if a driver makes a pit stop, he or she stops in a special place at the side of the track to get more fuel and to make repairs.
He had to make four pit stops during the race.
1 [N-COUNT]
A pit is a coal mine.
It was a better community then when all the pits were working.
2 [N-COUNT]
A pit is a large hole that is dug in the ground.
Eric lost his footing and began to slide into the pit.
3 [N-COUNT] supp N
A gravel pit or clay pit is a very large hole that is left where gravel or clay has been dug from the ground.
This area of former farmland was worked as a gravel pit until 1964.
4 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed against n, V-ed
If two opposing things or people are pitted against one another, they are in conflict.
You will be pitted against people who are every bit as good as you are...
This was one man pitted against the universe.
5 [N-PLURAL] usu pl
In motor racing, the pits are the areas at the side of the track where drivers stop to get more fuel and to repair their cars during races.
see also pit stop
6 [N-PLURAL] the N
If you describe something as the pits, you mean that it is extremely bad. (SPOKEN)
Mary Ann asked him how dinner had been. `The pits,' he replied.
7 [N-COUNT]
A pit is the stone of a fruit or vegetable. (AM)
8
see also pitted, fleapit, sandpit, sandpit
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you pit your wits against someone, you compete with them in a test of knowledge or intelligence.
I'd like to pit my wits against the best.
10 [PHRASE]
If you have a feeling in the pit of your stomach, you have a tight or sick feeling in your stomach, usually because you are afraid or anxious.
I had a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.
11
a bottomless pit: see bottomlessopen pit (open pits)
[N-COUNT]
An open pit is a mine where the coal, metal, or minerals are near the surface and underground passages are not needed. (AM; in BRIT, use opencast mine)
= strip mineor|ches|tra pit
[N-SING]
In a theatre, the orchestra pit is the space reserved for the musicians playing the music for an opera, musical, or ballet, immediately in front of or below the stage.pit bull ter|ri|er (pit bull terriers)
[N-COUNT]
A pit bull terrier or a pit bull is a very fierce kind of dog. Some people train pit bull terriers to fight other dogs.pit stop (pit stops)
[N-COUNT]
In motor racing, if a driver makes a pit stop, he or she stops in a special place at the side of the track to get more fuel and to make repairs.
He had to make four pit stops during the race.