/ pɪtʃ; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
FOR SPORT
1.
( BrE ) (also field NAmE , BrE ) [ C ] an area of ground specially prepared and marked for playing a sports game :
a football / cricket / rugby pitch
The rugby tour was a disaster both on and off the pitch.
DEGREE / STRENGTH
2.
[ sing. , U ] the degree or strength of a feeling or activity; the highest point of sth :
a frenetic pitch of activity
Speculation has reached such a pitch that a decision will have to be made immediately.
OF SOUND
3.
[ sing. , U ] how high or low a sound is, especially a musical note :
A basic sense of rhythm and pitch is essential in a music teacher.
—see also perfect pitch
TO SELL STH
4.
[ C , usually sing. ] talk or arguments used by a person trying to sell things or persuade people to do sth :
an aggressive sales pitch
the candidate's campaign pitch
Each company was given ten minutes to make its pitch .
IN BASEBALL
5.
[ C ] an act of throwing the ball; the way in which it is thrown
➡ note at throw
BLACK SUBSTANCE
6.
[ U ] a black sticky substance made from oil or coal, used on roofs or the wooden boards of a ship to stop water from coming through
IN STREET / MARKET
7.
[ C ] ( BrE ) a place in a street or market where sb sells things, or where a street entertainer usually performs
OF SHIP / AIRCRAFT
8.
[ U ] ( technical ) the movement of a ship up and down in the water or of an aircraft in the air
—compare roll noun (5)
OF ROOF
9.
[ sing. , U ] ( technical ) the degree to which a roof slopes
•
IDIOMS
- make a pitch for sb/sth | make a pitch to sb
—more at queer verb
■ verb
THROW
1.
[ vn + adv. / prep. ] to throw sb/sth with force :
The explosion pitched her violently into the air.
( figurative )
The new government has already been pitched into a crisis.
IN SPORTS
2.
[ v , vn ] ( in baseball ) to throw the ball to the person who is batting
—picture at cricket
3.
[+ adv. / prep. ] ( of the ball in the games of cricket or golf ) to hit the ground; to make the ball hit the ground :
[ v ]
The ball pitched a yard short.
[also vn ]
4.
[ vn , v ] ( in golf ) to hit the ball in a high curve
FALL
5.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] to fall heavily in a particular direction :
With a cry she pitched forward.
OF SHIP / AIRCRAFT
6.
[ v ] to move up and down on the water or in the air :
The sea was rough and the ship pitched and rolled all night.
SET LEVEL
7.
[ vn + adv. / prep. ] pitch sth (at sth) to set sth at a particular level :
They have pitched their prices too high.
The test was pitched at too low a level for the students.
TRY TO SELL
8.
[ vn ] pitch sth (at sb) | pitch sth (as sth) to aim or direct a product or service at a particular group of people :
The new software is being pitched at banks.
Orange juice is to be pitched as an athlete's drink.
9.
pitch (for sth) to try to persuade sb to buy sth, to give you sth or to make a business deal with you :
[ vn ]
Representatives went to Japan to pitch the company's newest products.
[ v ]
We were pitching against a much larger company for the contract.
SOUND / MUSIC
10.
[ vn ] to produce a sound or piece of music at a particular level :
You pitched that note a little flat.
The song was pitched too low for my voice.
—see also high-pitched , low-pitched
TENT
11.
[ vn ] to set up a tent or a camp for a short time :
We could pitch our tent in that field.
They pitched camp for the night near the river.
—see also pitched
•
IDIOMS
- pitch a story / line / yarn (to sb)
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- pitch in (with sb/sth)
- pitch sth in
- pitch into sb
- pitch into sth
- pitch up
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun senses 1 to 5 and noun senses 7 to 9 verb Middle English (as a verb in the senses thrust (something pointed) into the ground and fall headlong ): perhaps related to Old English picung stigmata , of unknown ultimate origin. The sense development is obscure.
noun sense 6 Old English pic (noun), pician (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch pek and German Pech ; based on Latin pix , pic- .