pitting

[ pit-ing ]

/ ˈpɪt ɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR pitting ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or operation of digging a pit or pits.

the act or operation of placing in a pit or pits.

arranging or staging cockfights.

Origin of pitting

First recorded in 1655–65; pit¹ + -ing¹

Words nearby pitting

pittacus, pittance, pitted, pitted keratolysis, pitter-patter, pitting, pitting edema, pittosporum, pittsburg, pittsburg landing, pittsburgh

Definition for pitting (2 of 4)

pitting ²

[ pit-ing ]

/ ˈpɪt ɪŋ /

noun

the act of removing a pit or pits.

Origin of pitting

pit² + -ing¹

Definition for pitting (3 of 4)

pit ¹

[ pit ]

/ pɪt /

noun

a naturally formed or excavated hole or cavity in the ground: pits caused by erosion; clay pits.

a covered or concealed excavation in the ground, serving as a trap.

Mining.

an excavation made in exploring for or removing a mineral deposit, as by open-cut methods.
the shaft of a coal mine.
the mine itself.

the abode of evil spirits and lost souls; hell: an evil inspiration from the pit.

the pits, Slang. an extremely unpleasant, boring, or depressing place, condition, person, etc.; the absolute worst: When you're alone, Christmas is the pits.

a hollow or indentation in a surface: glass flawed by pits.

a natural hollow or depression in the body: the pit of the back.

pits, Informal. the armpits: up to my pits in work.

a small, depressed scar, as one of those left on the skin after smallpox or chicken pox.

an enclosure, usually below the level of the spectators, as for staging fights between dogs, cocks, or, formerly, bears.

(in a commodity exchange) a part of the floor of the exchange where trading in a particular commodity takes place: the corn pit.

Architecture.

all that part of the main floor of a theater behind the musicians.
British. the main floor of a theater behind the stalls.
orchestra(def 2a).

(in a hoistway) a space below the level of the lowest floor served.

Auto Racing. an area at the side of a track, for servicing and refueling the cars.

Bowling. the sunken area of a bowling alley behind the pins, for the placement or recovery of pins that have been knocked down.

Track. the area forward of the takeoff point in a jumping event, as the broad jump or pole vault, that is filled with sawdust or soft earth to lessen the force of the jumper's landing.

the area or room of a casino containing gambling tables.

verb (used with object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

to mark or indent with pits or depressions: ground pitted by erosion.

to scar with pockmarks: His forehead was pitted by chicken pox.

to place or bury in a pit, as for storage.

to set in opposition or combat, as one against another.

to put (animals) in a pit or enclosure for fighting.

verb (used without object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

to become marked with pits or depressions.

(of body tissue) to retain temporarily a mark of pressure, as by a finger, instrument, etc.

Origin of pit

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English pytt < Latin puteus well, pit, shaft; (v.) derivative of the noun

SYNONYMS FOR pit

21 match, oppose.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR pit ON THESAURUS.COM

Definition for pitting (4 of 4)

pit ²

[ pit ]

/ pɪt /

Chiefly Northern U.S.

noun

the stone of a fruit, as of a cherry, peach, or plum.

verb (used with object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

to remove the pit from (a fruit or fruits): to pit cherries for a pie.

Origin of pit

1835–45, Americanism; < Dutch: kernel; cognate with pith

Example sentences from the Web for pitting

Perhaps the closest Senate race in the United States is the one pitting Bruce Braley against Joni Ernst in Iowa.

The Far-Right Radio Host Who Could Deliver the Senate to the GOP |Ben Jacobs |October 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Nothing puts nerds to the test more than pitting one sci-fi/fantasy series against another.

April’s Best Viral Videos |The Daily Beast Video |April 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
By 2006 Al-Qaeda in Iraq had plunged the country into civil war, pitting Shia against Sunni.

Al Qaeda’s Next Comeback Could Be Afghanistan And Pakistan |Bruce Riedel |January 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Howard Kurtz examines the nasty narratives, pitting Mr. Ineffectual against Mr. Moneybags.

Why the Media Dislike Both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney |Howard Kurtz |August 23, 2012 |DAILY BEAST

The real contest was for second place, pitting Ron Paul against Newt Gingrich.

Ron Paul’s Plan to Mess Up Mitt Romney |John Avlon |February 5, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
The man was mad, to think of pitting a few liners against armored battle craft.

Pirates of the Gorm |Nat Schachner
He was now to try the effect of pitting the same against a proportion of only five to one, with the ground in his favour.

By-Ways of War |James Jeffrey Roche
But no assurance of coal can be had without boring or pitting.

A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines |Andrew Ure
Let us not shrink from pitting a broad self-interest against the narrow self-interest to which some would restrict us.

The Interest of America in Sea Power, Present and Future |A. T. Mahan
He delights in pitting one side against the other and making them consume each other.

The International Monthly, Vol. II, No. I |Various

British Dictionary definitions for pitting (1 of 3)

pit ¹

/ (pɪt) /

noun

a large, usually deep opening in the ground

a mine or excavation with a shaft, esp for coal
the shaft in a mine
(as modifier)pit pony; pit prop

a concealed danger or difficulty

the pit hell

Also called: orchestra pit the area that is occupied by the orchestra in a theatre, located in front of the stage

an enclosure for fighting animals or birds, esp gamecocks

anatomy

a small natural depression on the surface of a body, organ, structure, or part; fossa
the floor of any natural bodily cavitythe pit of the stomach

pathol a small indented scar at the site of a former pustule; pockmark

any of various small areas in a plant cell wall that remain unthickened when the rest of the cell becomes lignified, esp the vascular tissue

a working area at the side of a motor-racing track for servicing or refuelling vehicles

a section on the floor of a commodity exchange devoted to a special line of trading

a rowdy card game in which players bid for commodities

an area of sand or other soft material at the end of a long-jump approach, behind the bar of a pole vault, etc, on which an athlete may land safely

the ground floor of the auditorium of a theatre

British a slang word for bed (def. 1), bedroom (def. 1)

another word for pitfall (def. 2)

verb pits, pitting or pitted

(tr often foll by against) to match in opposition, esp as antagonists

to mark or become marked with pits

(tr) to place or bury in a pit

Word Origin for pit

Old English pytt, from Latin puteus; compare Old French pet, Old High German pfuzzi

British Dictionary definitions for pitting (2 of 3)

pit ²

/ (pɪt) mainly US and Canadian /

noun

the stone of a cherry, plum, etc

verb pits, pitting or pitted

(tr) to extract the stone from (a fruit)

Word Origin for pit

C19: from Dutch: kernel; compare pith

British Dictionary definitions for pitting (3 of 3)

pit ³

/ (pɪt) /

verb

a Scot word for put

Medical definitions for pitting (1 of 2)

pitting

[ pĭt′ĭng ]

n.

The formation of well-defined, relatively deep depressions in a surface.

Medical definitions for pitting (2 of 2)

pit

[ pĭt ]

n.

A natural hollow or depression in the body or an organ.

A pockmark.

A sharp-pointed depression in the enamel surface of a tooth, caused by faulty or incomplete calcification or formed by the confluent point of two or more lobes of enamel.

v.

To mark with cavities, depressions, or scars.

To retain an impression after being indented. Used of the skin.

Scientific definitions for pitting

pit

[ pĭt ]

The hard, inner layer (the endocarp) of certain drupes that are valued for their flesh, such as peaches, cherries, or olives. Not in scientific use.

Idioms and Phrases with pitting

pit

In addition to the idiom beginning with pit

pit against

also see:

the pits

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

pitting

noun

Origin of pitting

Words nearby pitting

Definition for pitting (2 of 4)

noun

Origin of pitting

Definition for pitting (3 of 4)

noun

verb (used with object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

verb (used without object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

Origin of pit

SYNONYMS FOR pit

Definition for pitting (4 of 4)

noun

verb (used with object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

Origin of pit

Example sentences from the Web for pitting

British Dictionary definitions for pitting (1 of 3)

noun

verb pits, pitting or pitted

Word Origin for pit

British Dictionary definitions for pitting (2 of 3)

noun

verb pits, pitting or pitted

Word Origin for pit

British Dictionary definitions for pitting (3 of 3)

verb

Medical definitions for pitting (1 of 2)

n.

Medical definitions for pitting (2 of 2)

n.

v.

Scientific definitions for pitting

Idioms and Phrases with pitting

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

pitting

noun

Origin of pitting

Words nearby pitting

Definition for pitting (2 of 4)

noun

Origin of pitting

Definition for pitting (3 of 4)

noun

verb (used with object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

verb (used without object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

Origin of pit

SYNONYMS FOR pit

Definition for pitting (4 of 4)

noun

verb (used with object), pit·ted, pit·ting.

Origin of pit

Words related to pitting

Example sentences from the Web for pitting

British Dictionary definitions for pitting (1 of 3)

noun

verb pits, pitting or pitted

Word Origin for pit

British Dictionary definitions for pitting (2 of 3)

noun

verb pits, pitting or pitted

Word Origin for pit

British Dictionary definitions for pitting (3 of 3)

verb

Medical definitions for pitting (1 of 2)

n.

Medical definitions for pitting (2 of 2)

n.

v.

Scientific definitions for pitting

Idioms and Phrases with pitting