~ 1
■ noun
1》 a large hole in the ground.
↘a mine or excavation for coal or minerals.
↘a sunken area in a workshop floor allowing access to a car's underside.
2》 a hollow or indentation in a surface.
3》 an area at the side of a track where racing cars are serviced and refuelled.
4》 short for orchestra ~ (see orchestra ).
5》 ( the ~ ) Brit. dated the seating at the back of the stalls of a theatre.
6》 a part of the floor of an exchange in which a particular stock or commodity is traded.
7》 chiefly historical an enclosure in which animals are made to fight: a bear ~.
8》 ( the ~ ) literary hell.
↘( the ~s ) informal a very bad place or situation: this really is the ~s!
9》 Brit. informal a person's bed.
■ verb ( ~s , ~ting , ~ted )
1》 ( ~ someone/thing against ) set someone or something in conflict or competition with.
2》 make a hollow or indentation in the surface of.
↘sink in or contract so as to form a hollow.
3》 drive a racing car into the ~.
Phrases
the ~ of the stomach the region of the lower abdomen.
Derivatives
~ted adjective
Origin
OE pytt , of W. Gmc origin, based on L. puteus 'well, shaft'; sense 1 of the verb derives from the former practice of setting animals to fight each other in a ~.
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~ 2
chiefly N. Amer.
■ noun the stone of a fruit.
■ verb ( ~s , ~ting , ~ted ) remove the ~ from (fruit).
Derivatives
~ted adjective
Origin
C19: appar. from Du.; related to ~h .