Pit

/pɪt/ · noun

Meaning

A hole in the ground..

Definitions by Sense

1. A hole in the ground.
2. (motor racing) An area at a racetrack used for refueling and repairing the vehicles during a race.
3. (music) The section of a marching band containing mallet percussion instruments and other large percussion instruments too large to be marched, such as the tam-tam; the front ensemble. Can also refer to the area on the sidelines where these instruments are placed.
4. A mine.
5. (archaeology) A hole or trench in the ground, excavated according to grid coordinates, so that the provenance of any feature observed and any specimen or artifact revealed may be established by precise measurement.
6. (trading) A trading pit.
7. (colloquial) An armpit.
8. (aviation) A luggage hold.

Example Sentences

The meadow around the town is full of old pits.

27 Whoso diggeth a pit, shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will returne vpon him.

Two drivers have already gone into the pit this early in the race.

The exact sites of Feng and Hao have yet to be verified, but seven pits containing chariots, horses and other Zhou burial objects were discovered at Fengxi, and a concentration of Western Zhou relics and tombs was found in the area of Doumen in Changan County on the east bank of the Feng River.

[The researchers] noticed many of their pieces of [plastic marine] debris sported surface pits around two microns across. Such pits are about the size of a bacterial cell. Closer examination showed that some of these pits did, indeed, contain bacteria, […].

Back to the infernal pit I drag thee chained.

He keepeth back his soul from the pit.

as fiercely as two game-cocks in the pit

Synonyms for pit

Antonyms for pit

Related Words

Word Forms

• pits
• pitting
• pitted

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions