pitch - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

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pitch:

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Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
pitch1

▶noun

1 the quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone.
■ a standard degree of highness or lowness used in performance: the guitars were strung and tuned to pitch.

2 the steepness of a slope, especially of a roof.
■ Climbing a section of a climb.

3 a level of intensity, especially a high level: he brought the machine to a high pitch of development.

4 Brit. an area of ground marked out or used for play in an outdoor team game.
■ Cricket the strip of ground between the two sets of stumps.

5 Baseball a delivery of the ball by the pitcher.
■ Cricket the spot where the ball bounces when bowled.

■ (also pitch shot) Golf a high approach shot on to the green.

6 a form of words used to persuade or influence: they were impressed by his sales pitch.

7 Brit. a place where a street vendor or performer stations themselves or sets up a stall.

8 a swaying or oscillation of a ship, aircraft, or vehicle around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of motion.

9 technical the distance between successive corresponding points or lines, for example between the teeth of a cogwheel.

▶verb

1 set at a particular musical pitch.

2 throw or fall heavily or roughly: she pitched forward into blackness.

3 Baseball throw (the ball) for the batter.
■ Golf hit (the ball) on to the green with a pitch shot.

■ Cricket & Golf (of the ball) strike the ground in a particular spot.

4 set or aim at a particular level, target, or audience: he should pitch his talk at a suitable level.

5 make a bid to obtain a contract or other business.
■ try to persuade someone to buy or accept (something).

6 set up and fix in position.

7 (pitch in) informal join in enthusiastically with a task or activity.

8 (pitch up) informal arrive.

9 (of a moving ship, aircraft, or vehicle) rock or oscillate around a lateral axis, so that the front moves up and down.

10 (often as adj. pitched) (chiefly with reference to a roof) slope or cause to slope downwards: a pitched roof.

11 pave (a road) with stones.

– phrases
make a pitch make an attempt at or bid for something.

– origin ME: perh. rel. to OE picung ‘stigmata’, of unknown ultimate origin.

▶noun a sticky resinous black or dark brown substance which hardens on cooling, obtained by distilling tar or turpentine and used for waterproofing. ▶verb chiefly archaic cover or coat with pitch.

– origin OE pic (n.), pician (v.), of Gmc origin.

'pitch' also found in these Oxford entries:

absolute pitch - accent - addendum - altissimo - ascend - asphalt - ball - baritone - bass - bombarde - broach - change-up - clef - comma - concert pitch - contour - crack - crease - dedendum - deep - descend - diapason - double - double bassoon - drone - elevator - elevator pitch - enharmonic - euphonium - fever pitch - field hockey - flat - flatten - flutter - foot - forkball - formant - gruff - hang - high - imitation - inflect - inflection - interval - intonation - intone - invert - juju - kettledrum - key

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