pitch (pitches plural & 3rd person present) (pitching present participle) (pitched past tense & past participle )
1 n-count A pitch is an area of ground that is marked out and used for playing a game such as football, cricket, or hockey.
(mainly BRIT) oft n N
There was a swimming-pool, cricket pitches, playing fields..., Their conduct both on and off the pitch was excellent.
in AM, usually use field
2 verb If you pitch something somewhere, you throw it with quite a lot of force, usually aiming it carefully.
Simon pitched the empty bottle into the lake. V n prep
3 verb To pitch somewhere means to fall forwards suddenly and with a lot of force.
The movement took him by surprise, and he pitched forward... V adv
I was pitched into the water and swam ashore. be V-ed prep/adv
4 verb If someone is pitched into a new situation, they are suddenly forced into it.
They were being pitched into a new adventure... be V-ed prep
This could pitch the government into confrontation with the work-force. V n prep
5 verb In the game of baseball or rounders, when you pitch the ball, you throw it to the batter for them to hit it.
We passed long, hot afternoons pitching a baseball. V n
pitching n-uncount
His pitching was a legend among major league hitters.
6 n-uncount The pitch of a sound is how high or low it is.
He raised his voice to an even higher pitch.
→
perfect pitch
7 verb If a sound is pitched at a particular level, it is produced at the level indicated.
usu passive
His cry is pitched at a level that makes it impossible to ignore... be V-ed prep/adv
Her voice was well pitched and brisk. V-ed
→
high-pitched
→
low-pitched
8 verb If something is pitchedat a particular level or degree of difficulty, it is set at that level.
I think the material is pitched at too high a level for our purposes... be V-ed prep
The government has pitched High Street interest rates at a new level. V n prep
9 n-sing If something such as a feeling or a situation rises to a high pitch, it rises to a high level.
usu with supp
Tension has reached such a pitch that the armed forces say soldiers may have to use their weapons to defend themselves against local people.
→
fever pitch
10 verb If you pitch your tent, or pitch camp, you put up your tent in a place where you are going to stay.
He had pitched his tent in the yard... V n
At dusk we pitched camp in the middle of nowhere. V n
11 verb If a boat pitches, it moves violently up and down with the movement of the waves when the sea is rough.
The ship is pitching and rolling in what looks like about fifteen foot seas. V
13 If someone makes a pitchfor something, they try to persuade people to do or buy it.
make a pitch/make one's pitch phrase V inflects, oft PHR for n The President speaks in New York today, making another pitch for his economic program... →
sales pitch pitch for phrasal verb If someone is pitching for something, they are trying to persuade other people to give it to them. usu cont ...laws prohibiting the state's accountants from pitching for business... V P n pitch in phrasal verb If you pitch in, you join in and help with an activity. INFORMAL The agency says international relief agencies also have pitched in... V P The entire company pitched in to help. V P to-inf
fever pitch
If something is at fever pitch, it is in an extremely active or excited state. n-uncount oft at N
Campaigning is reaching fever pitch for elections on November 6.
perfect pitch
Someone who has perfect pitch is able to identify or sing musical notes correctly. n-uncount
pitch-black
If a place or the night is pitch-black, it is completely dark. adj
(=pitch-dark)
...a cold pitch-black winter morning.
pitch-dark , pitch dark
Pitch-dark means the same as pitch-black. adj
(=pitch-black)
It was pitch-dark in the room and I couldn't see a thing.
pitch invasion (pitch invasions plural )If there is a pitch invasion during or after a football, rugby, or cricket match, fans run on to the pitch.
(BRIT) n-count
sales pitch (sales pitches plural )A salesperson's sales pitch is what they say in order to persuade someone to buy something from them. n-count
His sales pitch was smooth and convincing.
