Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Pitch

Pitch

,
Noun.
[OE.
pich
, AS.
pic
, L.
pix
; akin to Gr. [GREEK].]
1.
A thick, black, lustrous, and sticky substance obtained by boiling down tar. It is used in calking the seams of ships; also in coating rope, canvas, wood, ironwork, etc., to preserve them.
He that toucheth
pitch
shall be defiled therewith.
Ecclus. xiii. 1.
2.
(Geol.)
See
Pitchstone
.
Amboyna pitch
,
the resin of
Dammara australis
. See
Kauri
.
–
Burgundy pitch
.
See under
Burgundy
.
–
Canada pitch
,
the resinous exudation of the hemlock tree (
Abies Canadensis
); hemlock gum.
–
Jew’s pitch
,
bitumen.
–
Mineral pitch
.
See
Bitumen
and
Asphalt
.
–
Pitch coal
(Min.)
,
bituminous coal.
–
Pitch peat
(Min.)
,
a black homogeneous peat, with a waxy luster.
–
Pitch pine
(Bot.)
,
any one of several species of pine, yielding pitch, esp. the
Pinus rigida
of North America.

Pitch

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Pitched
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Pitching
.]
[See
Pitch
,
Noun.
]
1.
To cover over or smear with pitch.
Gen. vi. 14.
2.
Fig.: To darken; to blacken; to obscure.
The welkin
pitched
with sullen could.
Addison.

Pitch

,
Verb.
T.
[OE.
picchen
; akin to E.
pick
,
pike
.]
1.
To throw, generally with a definite aim or purpose; to cast; to hurl; to toss;
as, to
pitch
quoits; to
pitch
hay; to
pitch
a ball.
2.
To thrust or plant in the ground, as stakes or poles; hence, to fix firmly, as by means of poles; to establish; to arrange;
as, to
pitch
a tent; to
pitch
a camp.
3.
To set, face, or pave with rubble or undressed stones, as an embankment or a roadway.
Knight.
4.
To fix or set the tone of;
as, to
pitch
a tune
.
5.
To set or fix, as a price or value.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Pitched battle
,
a general battle; a battle in which the hostile forces have fixed positions; – in distinction from a skirmish.
–
To pitch into
,
to attack; to assault; to abuse.
[Slang]

Pitch

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp.
“Laban with his brethren pitched in the Mount of Gilead.”
Gen. xxxi. 25.
2.
To light; to settle; to come to rest from flight.
The tree whereon they [the bees]
pitch
.
Mortimer.
3.
To fix one's choise; – with on or upon.
Pitch
upon the best course of life, and custom will render it the more easy.
Tillotson.
4.
To plunge or fall; esp., to fall forward; to decline or slope;
as, to
pitch
from a precipice; the vessel
pitches
in a heavy sea; the field
pitches
toward the east.
Pitch and pay
,
an old aphorism which inculcates ready-money payment, or payment on delivery of goods.
Shak.

Pitch

,
Noun.
1.
A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand;
as, a good
pitch
in quoits
.
Pitch and toss
,
a game played by tossing up a coin, and calling “Heads or tails;”
hence:
To play pitch and toss with (anything)
,
to be careless or trust to luck about it.
“To play pitch and toss with the property of the country.”
G. Eliot.
–
Pitch farthing
.
See
Chuck farthing
, under 5th
Chuck
.
2.
(Cricket)
That point of the ground on which the ball pitches or lights when bowled.
3.
A point or peak; the extreme point or degree of elevation or depression; hence, a limit or bound.
Driven headlong from the
pitch
of heaven, down
Into this deep.
Milton.
Enterprises of great
pitch
and moment.
Shakespeare
To lowest
pitch
of abject fortune.
Milton.
He lived when learning was at its highest
pitch
.
Addison.
The exact
pitch
, or limits, where temperance ends.
Sharp.
4.
Height; stature.
[Obs.]
Hudibras.
5.
A descent; a fall; a thrusting down.
6.
The point where a declivity begins; hence, the declivity itself; a descending slope; the degree or rate of descent or slope; slant;
as, a steep
pitch
in the road; the
pitch
of a roof.
7.
(Mus.)
The relative acuteness or gravity of a tone, determined by the number of vibrations which produce it; the place of any tone upon a scale of high and low.
☞ Musical tones with reference to absolute pitch, are named after the first seven letters of the alphabet; with reference to relative pitch, in a series of tones called the scale, they are called one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Eight is also one of a new scale an octave higher, as one is eight of a scale an octave lower.
8.
(Mining)
The limit of ground set to a miner who receives a share of the ore taken out.
9.
(Mech.)
(a)
The distance from center to center of any two adjacent teeth of gearing, measured on the pitch line; – called also circular pitch.
(b)
The length, measured along the axis, of a complete turn of the thread of a screw, or of the helical lines of the blades of a screw propeller.
(c)
The distance between the centers of holes, as of rivet holes in boiler plates.
Concert pitch
(Mus.)
,
the standard of pitch used by orchestras, as in concerts, etc.
–
Diametral pitch
(Gearing)
,
the distance which bears the same relation to the pitch proper, or circular pitch, that the diameter of a circle bears to its circumference; it is sometimes described by the number expressing the quotient obtained by dividing the number of teeth in a wheel by the diameter of its pitch circle in inches; as, 4 pitch, 8 pitch, etc.
–
Pitch chain
,
a chain, as one made of metallic plates, adapted for working with a sprocket wheel.
–
Pitch line
, or
Pitch circle
(Gearing)
,
an ideal line, in a toothed gear or rack, bearing such a relation to a corresponding line in another gear, with which the former works, that the two lines will have a common velocity as in rolling contact; it usually cuts the teeth at about the middle of their height, and, in a circular gear, is a circle concentric with the axis of the gear; the line, or circle, on which the pitch of teeth is measured.
–
Pitch of a roof
(Arch.)
,
the inclination or slope of the sides expressed by the height in parts of the span; as, one half pitch; whole pitch; or by the height in parts of the half span, especially among engineers; or by degrees, as a pitch of 30°, of 45°, etc.; or by the rise and run, that is, the ratio of the height to the half span; as, a pitch of six rise to ten run. Equilateral pitch is where the two sloping sides with the span form an equilateral triangle.
–
Pitch of a plane
(Carp.)
,
the slant of the cutting iron.
–
Pitch of poles
(Elec.)
,
the distance between a pair of poles of opposite sign.
–
Pitch pipe
,
a wind instrument used by choristers in regulating the pitch of a tune.
–
Pitch point
(Gearing)
,
the point of contact of the pitch lines of two gears, or of a rack and pinion, which work together.

Webster 1828 Edition

Pitch

PITCH

,
Noun.
[L. pix; Gr. most probably named from its thickness or inspissation; L. figo.]
1.
A thick tenacious substance,the juice of a species of pine or fir called abies picea, obtained by incision from the bark of the tree. When melted and pressed in bags of cloth, it is received into barrels. This is white or Burgundy pitch; by mixture with lampblack it is converted into black pitch. When kept long in fusion with vinegar, it becomes dry and brown, and forms colophony. The smoke of pitch condensed forms lampblack.
2.
The resin of pine, or turpentine, inspissated; used in caulking ships and paying the sides and bottom.

PITCH

,
Noun.
[from the root of pike, peak.]
1.
Literally, a point; hence, any point or degree of elevation; as a high pitch; lowest pitch.
How high a pitch his resolution soars.
Alcibiades was one of the best orators of his age, notwithstanding he lived when learning was at its highest pitch.
2.
Highest rise.
3.
Size; stature.
So like in person, garb and pitch.
4.
Degree; rate.
No pitch of glory from the grave is free.
5.
The point where a declivity begins, or the declivity itself; descent; slope; as the pitch of a hill.
6.
The degree of descent or declivity.
7.
A descent; a fall; a thrusting down.
8.
Degree of elevation of the key-note of a tune or of any note.

PITCH

,
Verb.
T.
[L. figo, to fix, and uniting pike, pique with fix.]
1.
To throw or thrust, and primarily, to thrust a long or pointed object; hence, to fix; to plant; to set; as, to pitch a tent or pavilion, that is, to set the stakes.
2.
To throw at a point; as, to pitch quoits.
3.
To throw headlong; as, to pitch one in the mire or down a precipice.
4.
To throw with a fork; as, to pitch hay or sheaves of corn.
5.
To regulate or set the key-note of a tune in music.
6.
To set in array; to marshal or arrange in order; used chiefly in the participle; as a pitched battle.
7.
[from pitch.] To smear or pay over with pitch; as, to pitch the seams of a ship.

PITCH

,
Verb.
I.
To light; to settle; to come to rest from flight.
Take a branch of the tree on which the bees pitch, and wipe the hive.
1.
To fall headlong; as, to pitch from a precipice; to pitch on the head.
2.
To plunge; as, to pitch into a river.
3.
To fall; to fix choice; with on or upon.
Pitch upon the best course of life, and custom will render it the most easy.
4.
To fix a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp.
Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead. Gen.31.
5.
In navigation, to rise and fall, as the head and stern of a ship passing over waves.
6.
To flow or fall precipitously, as a river.
Over this rock, the river pitches in one entire sheet.

Definition 2024

pitch

pitch

English

Noun

pitch ‎(plural pitches)

  1. A sticky, gummy substance secreted by trees; sap.
    It is hard to get this pitch off of my hand.
  2. A dark, extremely viscous material remaining in still after distilling crude oil and tar.
    They put pitch on the mast to protect it.
    The barrel was sealed with pitch.
    It was pitch black because there was no moon.
  3. (geology) Pitchstone.

Hyponyms

Derived terms
Translations

Verb

pitch ‎(third-person singular simple present pitches, present participle pitching, simple past and past participle pitched)

  1. To cover or smear with pitch.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Bible, Genesis vi. 14 to this entry?)
  2. To darken; to blacken; to obscure.
    • Addison
      Soon he found / The welkin pitched with sullen cloud.

Etymology 2

From Middle English picchen, pycchen ‎(“to thrust in, fasten, settle”), an assibilated variant of Middle English picken, pikken ‎(“to pick, pierce”). More at pick.

Noun

pitch ‎(plural pitches)

  1. A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand.
    a good pitch in quoits‎
  2. (baseball) The act of pitching a baseball.
    The pitch was low and inside.‎
  3. (sports) The field on which cricket, soccer, rugby or field hockey is played. (In cricket, the pitch is in the centre of the field; see cricket pitch.)
    The teams met on the pitch.‎
  4. An effort to sell or promote something.
    He gave me a sales pitch.‎
  5. The distance between evenly spaced objects, e.g. the teeth of a saw or gear, the turns of a **** thread, the centres of holes, or letters in a monospace font.
    The pitch of pixels on the point scale is 72 pixels per inch.‎
    The pitch of this saw is perfect for that type of wood.‎
    A helical scan with a pitch of zero is equivalent to constant z-axis scanning.
  6. The angle at which an object sits.
    the pitch of the roof or haystack‎
  7. The rotation angle about the transverse axis.
  8. (Can we verify(+) this sense?) A level or degree.
    • 2014, James Booth, Philip Larkin: Life, Art and Love (page 190)
      In this poem his 'vernacular' bluster and garish misrhymes build to a pitch of rowdy anarchy […]
  9. (aviation) A measure of the degree to which an aircraft's nose tilts up or down.
    the pitch of an aircraft‎
  10. (aviation) A measure of the angle of attack of a propeller.
    the propellor blades' pitch‎
  11. (nautical) The measure of extent to which a nautical vessel rotates on its athwartships axis, causing its bow and stern to go up and down. Compare with roll, yaw and heave.
  12. The place where a busker performs.
  13. An area in a market (or similar) allocated to a particular trader.
  14. A point or peak; the extreme point or degree of elevation or depression; hence, a limit or bound.
  15. (climbing) A section of a climb or rock face; specifically, the climbing distance between belays or stances.
  16. (caving) A vertical cave passage, only negotiable by using rope or ladders.
    The entrance pitch requires 30 metres of rope.‎
  17. (now Britain, regional) A person or animal's height.
    • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.3.2:
      Alba the emperor was crook-backed, Epictetus lame; that great Alexander a little man of stature, Augustus Cæsar of the same pitch […].
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Hudibras to this entry?)
  18. (cricket) That point of the ground on which the ball pitches or lights when bowled.
  19. A descent; a fall; a thrusting down.
  20. The point where a declivity begins; hence, the declivity itself; a descending slope; the degree or rate of descent or slope; slant.
    a steep pitch in the road;  the pitch of a roof‎
  21. (mining) The limit of ground set to a miner who receives a share of the ore taken out.
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

pitch ‎(third-person singular simple present pitches, present participle pitching, simple past and past participle pitched)

  1. (transitive) To throw.
    He pitched the horseshoe.
  2. (transitive or intransitive, baseball) To throw (the ball) toward a batter at home plate.
    (transitive) The hurler pitched a curveball.
    (intransitive) He pitched high and inside.
  3. (intransitive, baseball) To play baseball in the position of pitcher.
    Bob pitches today.
  4. (transitive) To throw away; discard.
    He pitched the candy wrapper.
  5. (transitive) To promote, advertise, or attempt to sell.
    He pitched the idea for months with no takers.
  6. (transitive) To deliver in a certain tone or style, or with a certain audience in mind.
    At which level should I pitch my presentation?
  7. (transitive) To assemble or erect (a tent).
    Pitch the tent over there.
  8. (intransitive) To fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp.
    • Bible, Genesis xxxi. 25
      Laban with his brethren pitched in the Mount of Gilead.
  9. (transitive, intransitive, aviation or nautical) To move so that the front of an aircraft or ship goes alternatively up and down.
    (transitive) The typhoon pitched the deck of the ship.
    (intransitive) The airplane pitched.
  10. (transitive, golf) To play a short, high, lofty shot that lands with backspin.
    The only way to get on the green from here is to pitch the ball over the bunker.
  11. (intransitive, cricket) To bounce on the playing surface.
    The ball pitched well short of the batsman.
  12. (intransitive, Bristol, of snow) To settle and build up, without melting.
  13. (intransitive, archaic) To alight; to settle; to come to rest from flight.
    • Mortimer
      the tree whereon they [the bees] pitch
  14. (with on or upon) To fix one's choice.
    • Tillotson
      Pitch upon the best course of life, and custom will render it the more easy.
  15. (intransitive) To plunge or fall; especially, to fall forward; to decline or slope.
    to pitch from a precipice
    The field pitches toward the east.
  16. (transitive, of an embankment, roadway) To set, face, or pave with rubble or undressed stones.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)
  17. (transitive, of a price, value) To set or fix.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
  18. (transitive, card games, slang, of a card) To discard for some gain.
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 3

Unknown.

Noun

pitch ‎(plural pitches)

  1. (music) The perceived frequency of a sound or note.
    The pitch of middle "C" is familiar to many musicians.
  2. (music) In an a cappella group, the singer responsible for singing a note for the other members to tune themselves by.
    Bob, our pitch, let out a clear middle "C" and our conductor gave the signal to start.
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

pitch ‎(third-person singular simple present pitches, present participle pitching, simple past and past participle pitched)

  1. (intransitive) To produce a note of a given pitch.
  2. (transitive) To fix or set the tone of.
    • 1955, Rex Stout, "Die Like a Dog", in Three Witnesses, October 1994 Bantam edition, ISBN 0553249592, pages 196–197:
      His "hello" was enough to recognize his voice by. I pitched mine low so he wouldn't know it.
Translations

References

  • pitch in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • Notes:
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Oxford-Paravia Concise - Dizionario Inglese-Italiano e Italiano-Inglese (in collaborazione con Oxford University Press). Edited by Maria Cristina Bareggi. Torino: Paravia, 2003. ISBN 8839551107. Online version here

French

Noun

pitch m ‎(plural pitchs)

  1. pitch (sales patter, inclination)

Italian

Noun

pitch m ‎(plural pitch)

  1. (cricket) cricket pitch

Etymology

From Old English piċ, from Latin pix. Cognate with Dutch pek, German Pech.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɪtʃ/
  • Rhymes: -ɪtʃ

Similar Results