noun

pitch

pihch

noun

A persuasive presentation intended to sell or promote something.

"The startup gave a five-minute pitch to investors."

The playing field used in sports such as football, rugby, or cricket (chiefly British English).

"The players walked onto the pitch to warm applause."

How high or low a sound is perceived to be.

"She sang the note slightly under pitch."

A thick, sticky black substance derived from tar or crude oil.

"The road crew sealed the cracks with hot pitch."

verb

To throw, especially a ball toward a batter.

"He pitched the ball right over the plate."

To promote or attempt to sell an idea or product.

"She pitched her novel to a dozen publishers before finding one."

To set up or erect, as a tent.

"They pitched their tent by the riverbank before dark."

How to Use Pitch

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA very flexible word: a sales presentation, throwing something, a sports field (British English), musical highness/lowness, setting up a tent, or sticky black tar.

UK vs US

British English uses "pitch" for a football/rugby/cricket field where American English usually says "field".

Common pairings

sales pitch pitch a tent perfect pitch football pitch

Word Forms

pitcher comparative, pitched past tense, pight past tense, pitched past tense, pitched past tense, pitches plural, pitches plural, pitches plural, pitches singular, pitches singular, pitches singular, pitchest superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The startup gave a five-minute _____ to investors.

Etymology

From Old English pic ("tar, pitch"), from Latin pix, related to Greek pissa. The sense of throwing or setting up developed separately in Middle English, and "pitch-black" (from the tar) later gave rise to the adjective meaning "very dark".

Rhymes for pitch

tch etch itch Dutch catch batch watch witch hutch hatch ditch match

See all rhymes for pitch →