Illustration of pitch
- two systems of staff notation of pitch
1
: a black or dark viscous substance obtained as a residue in the distillation of organic materials and especially tars
2
: any of various bituminous substances
3
: resin obtained from various conifers and often used medicinally
4
: any of various artificial mixtures resembling resinous or bituminous pitches
pitched; pitching; pitches
: to cover, smear, or treat with or as if with pitch
pitched; pitching; pitches
1
: to erect and fix firmly in place
pitch a tent
2
: to throw usually with a particular objective or toward a particular point
pitch hay onto a wagon
: such as
a
: to throw (a baseball) to a batter
b
: to toss (something, such as coins) so as to fall at or near a mark
pitch pennies
c
: to put aside or discard by or as if by throwing
pitched the trash into the bin
3
4
a(1)
: to cause to be at a particular level or of a particular quality
a test pitched at a 5th-grade reading level
(2)
: to set in a particular musical key
b
: to cause to be set at a particular angle : slope
5
: to utter glibly and insincerely
6
a
: to use as a starting pitcher
b
: to play as pitcher
7
: to hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with backspin so that it rolls very little after striking the green
8
: throw sense 6
pitch a fit
1
a
: to fall precipitately or headlong
b(1)
of a ship
: to have the bow alternately plunge precipitately and rise abruptly
(2)
of an aircraft, missile, or spacecraft
: to turn about a lateral axis so that the forward end rises or falls in relation to the after end
2
: encamp
3
: to hit upon or happen upon something
pitch upon the perfect gift
4
: to incline downward : slope
5
a
: to throw a ball to a batter
b
: to play ball as a pitcher
c
: to pitch a golf ball
6
: to make a sales pitch
1
b
: the distance between any of various things: such as
(1)
: distance between one point on a gear tooth and the corresponding point on the next tooth
(2)
: distance from any point on the thread of a screw to the corresponding point on an adjacent thread measured parallel to the axis
c
: the theoretical distance a propeller would advance longitudinally in one revolution
d
: the number of teeth or of threads per inch
e
: a unit of width of type based on the number of times a letter can be set in a linear inch
4
a
: the relative level, intensity, or extent of some quality or state
tensions rose to a feverish pitch
b(1)
: the property of a sound and especially a musical tone that is determined by the frequency of the waves producing it : highness or lowness of sound
(2)
: a standard frequency for tuning instruments
c(1)
: the difference in the relative vibration frequency of the human voice that contributes to the total meaning of speech
(2)
: a definite relative pitch that is a significant phenomenon in speech
5
a
: a steep place : declivity
b
: the portion of a route (as in mountain climbing or caving) between belay points
6
7
: an all-fours game in which the first card led is a trump
8
9
Examples of pitch in a Sentence
Verb (2)
needed help pitching a tent
when a wave hit the float, I lost my balance and pitched into the lake
the ship pitched in the choppy sea
pitched the baseball almost 50 feet
we decided to pitch that whole system and start over again
the cutting-edge ad agency was hired to pitch our products to a younger generation of consumers
the roof should be pitched steeply enough to prevent an excessive accumulation of snow
Noun (2)
the daring pitch of the escaped prisoner into the swirling ocean waters at the base of the cliff
the steep pitch of the roof makes it too dangerous to walk on
Recent Examples on the Web
Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Part-owner Magic Johnson and Hollywood A-lister Tom Hanks were among those in attendance, while former Dodger Kirk Gibson threw the ceremonial first pitch to World Series MVP Freddie Freeman.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
David Matthews, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2025
The organization has seen the benefits of overhauling its pitching development infrastructure over the past few years.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitch
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Many startups secure funding only after dozens of pitches.
—Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Part-owner Magic Johnson and Hollywood A-lister Tom Hanks were among those in attendance, while former Dodger Kirk Gibson threw the ceremonial first pitch to World Series MVP Freddie Freeman.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
The creation of the new award was pitched to the organization by director David Leitch, who began working in Hollywood as a stuntman, along with stunt designer and coordinator Chris O’Hara.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2025
The organization has seen the benefits of overhauling its pitching development infrastructure over the past few years.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitch
Cite this Entry
“Pitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitch. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pitch
1 of 4 noun1
: a dark sticky substance left over from distilling tar and used in making roofing paper, in waterproofing seams, and in paving
2
: resin from various cone-bearing trees
pitch
2 of 4 verb
: to cover, smear, or treat with pitch
pitch
3 of 4 verb1
: to erect and fix firmly in place
pitch a tent
2
: to throw usually toward a certain point
pitch hay into a wagon
3
: to present or advertise especially in a high-pressure way
4
a
: to fix or set at a particular pitch or level
pitch a tune too high
a test pitched at a 5th-grade reading level
b
: to cause to be set at a certain angle : slope
5
a
: to fall or plunge forward
pitch from a cliff
b
: to move in such a way that one end falls while the other end rises
a ship pitching in a rough sea
c
: buck entry 2 sense 1a
a pitching horse
6
a
: to throw a ball to a batter
b
: to play ball as a pitcher
pitch
4 of 4 noun1
: the action or a manner of pitching
especially
: an up-and-down movement
2
: slope or degree of slope
3
: the forward distance advanced by a propeller as it makes one revolution
4
: the amount or level of something (as a feeling)
excitement reached a high pitch
5
a
: highness or lowness of sound
b
: a standard frequency for tuning instruments
the oboe sounded the pitch
6
a
: a high-pressure sales talk
b
: recommendation sense 1
made a pitch for tax cuts
7
: the delivery of a baseball by a pitcher to a batter
Etymology
Noun
Old English pic "a tarlike substance," from Latin pic-, pix (same meaning)
Verb
Middle English pichen "to thrust, drive, fix firmly"
Medical Definition
pitch
1 of 2 noun1
: a black or dark viscous substance obtained as a residue in the distillation of organic materials and especially tars
2
: resin obtained from various conifers and often used medicinally
pitch
2 of 2 noun
: the property of a sound and especially a musical tone that is determined by the frequency of the waves producing it : highness or lowness of sound
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