noun

pit

pit, hole, stone, quarry

They dug a deep pit for the barbecue.

They dug a deep pit for the barbecue.

Be careful not to swallow the cherry pit.

Be careful not to swallow the cherry stone.

The car made a quick pit stop during the race.

The car made a quick pit stop during the race.

The orchestra played from the pit.

The orchestra played from the pit.

((a/an)) pit in the ground a large hole They dug a deep pit.

the pit/stone of ((a fruit)) the hard seed inside a fruit Don't swallow the cherry stone.

Synonyms (hole): hole, hollow, crater; Synonyms (fruit): stone, seed, kernel

From Old English 'pytt', from Latin 'puteus' meaning 'well, pit'. The fruit stone meaning is a later, figurative development.

Think of a 'pit' as a central, low, or deep point: a hole in the ground, the stone at the center of a fruit, or the sunken area for an orchestra.

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