pitch

1.
v. & n.
—v.
1 tr. (also absol.) erect and fix (a tent, camp, etc.).
2 tr. a throw; fling. b (in games) throw (a flat object) towards a mark.
3 tr. fix or plant (a thing) in a definite position.
4 tr. express in a particular style or at a particular level (pitched his argument at the most basic level).
5 intr. (often foll. by against, into, etc.) fall heavily, esp. headlong.
6 intr. (of a ship etc.) plunge in a longitudinal direction (cf. ROLL v. 8a).
7 tr. Mus. set at a particular pitch.
8 intr. (of a roof etc.) slope downwards.
9 intr. (often foll. by about) move with a vigorous jogging motion, as in a train, carriage, etc.
10 Cricket a tr. cause (a bowled ball) to strike the ground at a specified point etc. b intr. (of a bowled ball) strike the ground.
11 tr. colloq. tell (a yarn or a tale).
12 tr. Golf play (a ball) with a pitch shot.
13 tr. pave (a road) with stones.
—n.
1 a the area of play in a field-game. b Cricket the area between the creases.
2 height, degree, intensity, etc. (the pitch of despair; nerves were strung to a pitch).
3 a the steepness of a slope, esp. of a roof, stratum, etc. b the degree of such a pitch.
4 Mus. a that quality of a sound which is governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone. b = concert pitch.
5 the pitching motion of a ship etc.
6 Cricket the act or mode of delivery in bowling, or the spot where the ball bounces.
7 colloq. a salesman's advertising or selling approach.
8 Brit. a place where a street vendor sells wares, has a stall, etc.
9 (also pitch shot) Golf a high approach shot with a short run.
10 Mech. the distance between successive corresponding points or lines, e.g. between the teeth of a cog-wheel etc.
11 the height to which a falcon etc. soars before swooping on its prey.
12 the delivery of a baseball by a pitcher.
Phrases and idioms:
pitch-and-toss a gambling game in which coins are pitched at a mark and then tossed. pitched battle
1 a vigorous argument etc.
2 Mil. a battle planned beforehand and fought on chosen ground. pitched roof a sloping roof. pitch in colloq. set to work vigorously.
pitch into colloq.
1 attack forcibly with blows, words, etc.
2 assail (food, work, etc.) vigorously. pitch on (or upon) happen to select. pitch-pipe Mus. a small pipe blown to set the pitch for singing or tuning. pitch up Cricket bowl (a ball) to bounce near the batsman. pitch wickets Cricket fix the stumps in the ground and place the bails.
Etymology: ME pic(c)he, perh. f. OE picc(e)an (unrecorded: cf. picung stigmata)
2.
n. & v.
—n.
1 a sticky resinous black or dark-brown substance obtained by distilling tar or turpentine, semi-liquid when hot, hard when cold, and used for caulking the seams of ships etc.
2 any of various bituminous substances including asphalt.
—v.tr. cover, coat, or smear with pitch.
Phrases and idioms:
pitch-black (or -dark) very or completely dark. pitch-pine any of various pine-trees, esp. Pinus rigida or P. palustris, yielding much resin.
Etymology: OE pic f. Gmc f. L pix picis