I. pitch ‧ fork 1 /ˈpɪtʃfɔːk $ -fɔːrk/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
a farm tool with a long handle and two long curved metal points, used especially for lifting ↑ hay (=dried grass)
II. pitchfork 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive] British English
to put someone suddenly into a situation for which they are not properly prepared
pitchfork somebody into something
She was pitchforked into power by the early death of her husband James V.