pit (pits plural & 3rd person present) (pitting present participle) (pitted past tense & past participle )
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 A gravel pit or clay pit is a very large hole that is left where gravel or clay has been dug from the ground.
supp N
This area of former farmland was worked as a gravel pit until 1964.
4 verb If two opposing things or people are pitted against one another, they are in conflict.
usu passive
You will be pitted against people who are every bit as good as you are... be V-ed against n
This was one man pitted against the universe. V-ed
5 n-plural In motor racing, thepits are the areas at the side of the track where drivers stop to get more fuel and to repair their cars during races.
usu pl
→
pit stop
6 n-plural If you describe something as the pits, you mean that it is extremely bad.
SPOKEN the N
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
→
pitted
→
fleapit
→
orchestra pit
→
sandpit
9 If you pit your wits against someone, you compete with them in a test of knowledge or intelligence.
pit one's wits against sb phrase V inflects
I'd like to pit my wits against the best.
10 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.
in the pit of one's stomach phrase
I had a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.
11 →
a bottomless pit →
bottomless
open pit (open pits plural )An open pit is a mine where the coal, metal, or minerals are near the surface and underground passages are not needed.
(AM) n-count
(=strip mine)
in BRIT, use opencast mine
orchestra pit
In a theatre, theorchestra 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. n-sing
pit bull terrier (pit bull terriers plural )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. n-count
pit stop (pit stops plural )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. n-count
He had to make four pit stops during the race.