pit bull

I. noun or pit bullterrier

: bullterrier

II. noun

1. : a dog (as an American pit bull terrier or an American Staffordshire terrier) of any of several breeds or a real or apparent hybrid with one or more of these breeds that was developed and is now often trained for fighting and is noted for strength and stamina

2. : an aggressive and tenacious person

a political pit bull

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pit bull or pit bull terrier noun

A large breed of bull terrier developed orig for dogfighting

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Main Entry: ↑pit

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pit bull UK US noun [countable] [singular pit bull plural pit bulls]

a type of small very strong dog, originally trained to fight other dogs

Thesaurus: breeds of dog_hyponym types of dog_hypernym

Variant: pit bull terrier

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pit bull,

1. a kind of bulldog formerly used in dog fighting; pit dog.

2. = bull terrier. (Cf. ↑bull terrier)

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(in full pit bull terrier) n. a dog of an American variety of bull terrier, noted for its muscular build and often associated with ferocity

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noun, pl ⋯ bulls [count]

: a type of dog that is known for its strength and its ability to fight — called also pit bull terrier

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ˌpit ˌbull ˈterrier [pit bull terrier pit bull terriers] (also ˈpit bull) noun

a small strong aggressive dog, sometimes used in dog fights where people bet on which dog will win

 

Culture:

In the 1980s a number of people were attacked and badly injured by pit bull terriers and other dogs. As a result a law was passed in Britain in 1991, the Dangerous Dogs Act, requiring owners to register them with a special government department.