pit
1 of 4noun (1)
ˈpit 
1
a(1)
: a hole, shaft, or cavity in the ground
(2)
: mine
(3)
: a scooped-out place used for burning something (such as charcoal)
b
: an area often sunken or depressed below the adjacent floor area: such as
(1)
: an enclosure in which animals are made to fight each other
(2)
: a space at the front of a theater for the orchestra
(3)
: an area in a securities or commodities exchange in which members trade (such as stocks)
2
a
: hell sense 1a —used with the
b
: a place or situation of futility, misery, or degradation
c
pits plural : worst
it's the pits
3
: a hollow or indentation especially in the surface of an organism: such as
a
: a natural hollow in the surface of the body
b
: one of the indented scars left in the skin by a pustular disease : pockmark
c
: a minute depression in the secondary wall of a plant cell functioning in the intercellular movement of water and dissolved material
4
: any of the areas alongside an auto racecourse used for refueling and repairing the cars during a race —often used in plural with the
pit
2 of 4verb (1)
pitted; pitting
transitive verb
1
a
: to place, cast, bury, or store in a pit
b
: to make pits in
especially : to scar or mark with pits
2
a
: to set (fighting birds, such as gamecocks) into or as if into a pit to fight
b
: to set into opposition or rivalry —usually used with against
intransitive verb
1
: to become marked with pits
especially : to preserve for a time an indentation made by pressure
2
: to make a pit stop
pit
3 of 4noun (2)
: the stone of a drupaceous fruit
pit
4 of 4verb (2)
pitted; pitting
transitive verb
: to remove the pit from (a fruit)
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- cavity
- concavity
- dent
- depression
- dint
- hole
- hollow
- indentation
- indenture
- recess
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English, from Old English pytt (akin to Old High German pfuzzi well), from Latin puteus well, pit
Noun (2)
Dutch, from Middle Dutch — more at pith
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Verb (1)
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun (2)
1803, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1879, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing pit
Kids Definition
pit 1 of 4
noun
ˈpit
1
: a cavity or hole in the ground usually made by digging
a gravel pit
2
: an area set off from and often sunken below surrounding areas
a barbecue pit
a theater's orchestra pit
3
: a small hole or dent on a surface
4
pits plural : something very bad
Being sick is the pits.
pit
2 of 4verb
pitted; pitting
1
: to make small holes or dents in
2
: to set against another in a fight or contest
The former teammates were pitted against each other.
pit
3 of 4noun
: a hard seed or stone of a fruit (as a peach or cherry)
pit
4 of 4verb
pitted; pitting
: to remove the pit from
Medical Definition
pit 1 of 2
noun
ˈpit
: a hollow or indentation especially in a surface of an organism: as
a
: a natural hollow in the surface of the body
b
: one of the indented scars left in the skin by a pustular disease : pockmark
c
: a usually developmental imperfection in the enamel of a tooth that takes the form of a small pointed depression
pit
2 of 2verb
pitted; pitting
transitive verb
: to make pits in
especially : to scar or mark with pits
a face pitted by acne
intransitive verb
: to become marked with pits
especially : to preserve for a time an indentation made by pressure
a swollen area on the gingiva which pits readily 
A. B. Wade
A. B. Wade Geographical Definition
Pit
geographical name
ˈpit
river in northern California flowing southwest into the Sacramento River
pit 1 of 2
noun
as in hole
a sunken area forming a separate space removal of the tree stump left a gaping pit in the yard Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- hole
- dent
- cavity
- ditch
- hollow
- furrow
- trench
- cavern
- concavity
- depression
- valley
- cave
- excavation
- bowl
- burrow
- recess
- indentation
- basin
- dint
- gutter
- alcove
- groove
- trough
- crater
- indenture
- pocket
- cleft
- abyss
- gouge
- sinkhole
- chasm
- opening
- nook
- impression
- wallow
- vacuum
- dimple
- socket
- pothole
- borehole
- niche
- well
- posthole
- void
- alveolus
- notch
- imprint
- water hole
- gulf
- chuckhole
- vacuity
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- projection
- bulge
- hill
- protrusion
- rise
- mound
- convexity
- tumor
- camber
- lump
- protuberance
- bump
- swelling
- jut
- hump
- swell
- bunch
- pimple
pit
2 of 2verb
as in to dent
Synonyms & Similar Words
- dent
- kink
- rough
- wrinkle
- bend
- coarsen
- roughen
- rumple
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- plane
- level
- flatten
- even
- smooth
- lay
- prune
- crop
- shave
- trim
- spread
- clip
- pare
- press
- smoothen