Pitch
/pɪtʃ/
Definitions
8 meaningsTo throw or hurl something, especially with a particular aim or force.
/pɪtʃ/
To throw something.
The baseball pitcher pitched the ball to the batter.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're playing catch. Pitching is just another way of saying 'throw'. Like when the baseball pitcher pitches the ball, you can also pitch a ball to your friend. You are just throwing it.
👶 For kids: To throw something, like a ball!
More Examples
She pitched the water bottle to her friend across the room.
The athlete pitched the discus as far as they could.
How It's Used
"The pitcher pitched the ball to the batter."
"He pitched the rock as far as he could."
To set up or arrange something at a particular level or angle.
/pɪtʃ/
To set at a specific angle or level.
The architect pitched the roof at a steep angle to shed snow.
💡 Simply: If you're building a ramp, you might need to *pitch* it at a certain angle so your scooter can make the jump! Or, when camping, you have to pitch a tent in order to set it up on a flat surface.
👶 For kids: To set something up, like a tent or a roof!
More Examples
The campers pitched their tent near the lake.
The surveyor pitched the equipment to get the perfect measurement.
How It's Used
"The roofer pitched the roof to allow for water runoff."
"He pitched the tent on the campsite."
To attempt to persuade someone to buy something or to accept an idea.
/pɪtʃ/
To attempt to sell or promote something.
She pitched her new product to a potential client.
💡 Simply: Imagine you have a really cool idea for a new toy. You can 'pitch' it to your parents or to a toy company! Pitching is when you try to get someone to like and support your idea or buy your product. You give a presentation or a quick summary of an idea.
👶 For kids: To try to get someone to buy something or like your idea!
More Examples
The company pitched their services to the government.
He practiced his pitch for the upcoming investors meeting.
How It's Used
"The entrepreneur pitched his business idea to investors."
"The salesperson pitched the product to potential customers."
The act of throwing a ball in sports, or the act of presenting or promoting something.
/pɪtʃ/
The act of throwing a ball.
The pitcher’s pitch was a curveball.
💡 Simply: In baseball, the pitcher's pitch is how he throws the ball! It's the action itself. It is also how someone presents an idea.
👶 For kids: The throw of a ball or an idea!
More Examples
The company’s pitch for the new project was well-received.
The athlete perfected his pitching technique.
How It's Used
"The pitcher's pitch was a fastball."
"He made a good pitch for his business idea."
The degree of slope of a roof, ramp, or other surface.
/pɪtʃ/
The angle of a roof or slope.
The pitch of the roof allowed the rain to run off quickly.
💡 Simply: The pitch is about the angle of a roof or a hill. Think of how steep the slide is, or the angle of the roof of your house.
👶 For kids: How steep something is, like a roof or a slide!
More Examples
The architect adjusted the pitch of the ramp for accessibility.
The screw had a very fine pitch.
How It's Used
"The pitch of the roof was too steep for the snow load."
"The pitch of the screw was too narrow."
The quality of a sound determined by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone.
/pɪtʃ/
The highness or lowness of a sound.
The orchestra tuned their instruments to the correct pitch.
💡 Simply: Think of the sound of a musical note or your voice! You can have a high pitch, like a squeaky mouse, or a low pitch, like a big tuba. The pitch is how high or low a sound is.
👶 For kids: How high or low a sound is, like a musical note!
More Examples
The speaker's voice had a high pitch when he was excited.
She struggled to find the right pitch to sing the high note.
How It's Used
"The singer's pitch was perfect."
"He spoke in a low pitch."
A persuasive sales presentation or attempt to convince someone to buy something or accept a proposal.
/pɪtʃ/
A prepared sales talk.
The entrepreneur delivered a winning pitch to the venture capitalists.
💡 Simply: When you're trying to sell something, or get someone to support your idea, you give a pitch! A pitch is a presentation that you make.
👶 For kids: A talk to try to get someone to buy something or like your idea!
More Examples
The marketing team prepared a pitch for the new advertising campaign.
He practiced his pitch before meeting with the potential client.
How It's Used
"She gave a compelling pitch for her product."
"The pitch convinced the investors to fund the project."
A field marked out for playing a game, especially football (soccer).
/pɪtʃ/
The playing field.
The football game was played on a muddy pitch.
💡 Simply: The pitch is where people play sports like soccer or football, a grassy space.
👶 For kids: The field where you play soccer!
More Examples
The band set up their equipment on the pitch.
The team practiced on the training pitch.
How It's Used
"The soccer match was played on a wet pitch."
"The concert was held on the village pitch."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
pitch in
To contribute to a common effort.
"Everyone pitched in to clean up the house."
pitch-black
Extremely dark.
"The night was pitch-black, and she couldn't see a thing."
From Middle English picche, from Old English *picce (unattested, but implied by piccian), a verb related to Old English pic (pitch, a dark, sticky substance). It has developed multiple meanings over time, encompassing throwing, the angle of a roof, and the sound of a musical note.
The word 'pitch' has been used since the 14th century, evolving from its earlier association with throwing to encompassing the angle of a slope and the sound of a tone.
Memory tip
Imagine a baseball pitcher throwing the ball hard.
Word Origin
"to throw, to thrust, to set"