pitch

views updated May 14 2018

pitch1 / pich/ • n. 1. the quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone: a car engine seems to change pitch downward as the vehicle passes you. ∎  a standard degree of highness or lowness used in performance: the guitars were strung and tuned to pitch. See also concert pitch.2. the steepness of a slope, esp. of a roof. ∎ Climbing a section of a climb, esp. a steep one. ∎  the height to which a hawk soars before swooping on its prey.3. [in sing.] the level of intensity of something: he brought the machine to a high pitch of development. ∎  (a pitch of) a very high degree of: rousing herself to a pitch of indignation.4. Baseball a legal delivery of the ball by the pitcher. ∎  (also pitch shot) Golf a high approach shot onto the green. ∎  Football short for pitchout sense 2.5. Brit. a playing field. ∎  Cricket the strip of ground between the two sets of stumps.6. a form of words used when trying to persuade someone to buy or accept something: a good sales pitch.7. a swaying or oscillation of a ship, aircraft, or vehicle around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of motion. ∎  the degree of slope or angle, as of a roof.8. technical the distance between successive corresponding points or lines, e.g., between the teeth of a cogwheel. ∎  a measure of the angle of the blades of a screw propeller, equal to the distance forward a blade would move in one revolution if it exerted no thrust on the medium. ∎  the density of typed or printed characters on a line, typically expressed as numbers of characters per inch.• v. 1. [tr.] Baseball throw (the ball) for the batter to try to hit. ∎ Baseball assign (a player) to pitch. ∎  [intr.] be a pitcher: she pitched in a minor-league game | [tr.] he pitched the entire game. ∎  Golf hit (the ball) onto the green with a pitch shot. ∎  [intr.] Golf (of the ball) strike the ground in a particular spot.2. [tr.] throw or fling roughly or casually: he crumpled the page up and pitched it into the fireplace. ∎  [intr.] fall heavily, esp. headlong: she pitched forward into blackness.3. [tr.] set (one's voice or a piece of music) at a particular pitch: you've pitched the melody very high. ∎  express at a particular level of difficulty: he should pitch his talk at a suitable level for the age group. ∎  aim (a product) at a particular section of the market: the machine is being pitched at banks.4. [intr.] make a bid to obtain a contract or other business: they were pitching for an account.5. [tr.] set up and fix in a definite position: we pitched camp for the night.6. [intr.] (of a moving ship, aircraft, or vehicle) rock or oscillate around a lateral axis, so that the front and back move up and down: the little steamer pressed on, pitching gently. ∎  (of a vehicle) move with a vigorous jogging motion: a jeep came pitching down the hill.7. [tr.] cause (a roof) to slope downward from the ridge: the roof was pitched at an angle of 75 degrees | [as adj.] (pitched) a pitched roof. ∎  [intr.] slope downward: the ravine pitches down to the creek. PHRASES: make a pitch make a bid to obtain a contract or other business.PHRASAL VERBS: pitch in inf. vigorously join in to help with a task or activity. ∎  join in a fight or dispute.pitch into inf. vigorously tackle or begin to deal with. ∎  forcefully assault.pitch out throw a pitchout.pitch2 • n. a sticky resinous black or dark brown substance that is semiliquid when hot, hard when cold. It is obtained by distilling tar or petroleum and is used for waterproofing. ∎  any of various similar substances, such as asphalt or bitumen. ∎  a sticky resinous sap from a conifer.• v. [tr.] cover, coat, or smear with pitch.

pitch

views updated May 18 2018

pitch.
1. Amount of slope given to any part of a roof.

2. Tenacious black resinous substance, hard when cold, becoming a thick viscid semiliquid when heated: it is obtained as a residue from the boiling or distillation of tar. It is used in its melted form to protect external timbers, e.g. clap-boarding or weather-boarding, and, if mixed with ground chalk, sand, and tar, for surfacing roads, etc.

pitch

views updated May 29 2018

pitch2 †thrust or fix in; fix and erect XIII; set in order or in a fixed place; cast, throw XIV. The ME. conjugation pic(c)he, pihte, (i)piht suggests the existence of an OE. *piċċ(e)an, rel. to picung ‘stigmata’, of unkn. orig.
Hence pitch sb. act of pitching; inclination, slope XV; highest point; position taken up XVI.

pitch

views updated May 17 2018

pitch a sticky resinous black or dark brown substance that is semi-liquid when hot and hardens when cold, taken as the type of blackness or darkness (as in pitch-dark, pitch-black).

See also he that touches pitch shall be defiled.

pitch

views updated May 08 2018

pitch (rake) The angle made by a lineation with the strike of the surface on which it occurs.

pitch

views updated May 23 2018

pitch1 black or dark brown resinous substance. OE. piċ, corr. to OS. pik (Du. pek), OHG. peh (G. pech), ON. bik, Gmc. — L. pix, pic-.
Hence vb. OE. (ġe)piċian.