pit (n.)

  1. a sizeable hole (usually in the ground); they dug a pit to bury the body

    [ Syn: cavity ]

  2. lowered area in front of a stage where an orchestra accompanies the performers

    [ Syn: orchestra pit ]

  3. a workplace consisting of a coal mine plus all the buildings and equipment connected with it

    [ Syn: colliery ]

  4. a concavity in a surface (especially an anatomical depression)

    [ Syn: fossa , fossa ]

  5. the hard inner (usually woody) layer of the pericarp of some fruits (as peaches or plums or cherries or olives) that contains the seed; you should remove the stones from prunes before cooking

    [ Syn: stone , endocarp ]

  6. (Christianity) the abode of Satan and the forces of evil; where sinners suffer eternal punishment; Hurld headlong...To bottomless perdition, there to dwell- John Milton; a demon from the depths of the pit; Hell is paved with good intentions-Dr. Johnson

    [ Syn: hell , perdition , inferno , infernal region , nether region ]

  7. an enclosure in which animals are made to fight

  8. (commodity exchange) the part of the floor of a commodity exchange where trading in a particular commodity is carried on

  9. (auto racing) an area at the side of a racetrack where the race cars are serviced and refueled

  10. a trap in the form of a concealed hole

    [ Syn: pitfall ]

  11. a surface excavation for extracting stone or slate; a British term for `quarry is `stone pit

    [ Syn: quarry , stone pit ]

    pit (v.)

  1. set into opposition or rivalry; let them match their best athletes against ours; pit a chess player against the Russian champion; He plays his two children off against each other

    [ Syn: oppose , match , play off ]

  2. mark with a scar; The skin disease scarred his face permanently

    [ Syn: scar , mark , pock ]

  3. remove the pits from; pit plums and cherries

    [ Syn: stone ]

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.