From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpitchpitch1 /pɪtʃ/ ●●○ S3 W3 noun 1 sports field [countable] British EnglishDSDS a marked out area of ground on which a sport is played SYN fieldfootball/cricket/rugby etc pitch the world-famous Wembley football pitch He ran the length of the pitch and scored.on the pitch (=playing a sport) Jack was on the pitch for his school in the Senior Cup Final.2 strong feelings/activity [singular, uncountable]EMOTIONAL a strong level of feeling about something or a high level of an activity or a quality The controversy reached such a pitch (=become so strong) that the paper devoted a whole page to it.a pitch of excitement/excellence/perfection etc (=a high level of excitement etc) He screamed at her in a pitch of fury. The goal roused the crowd to fever pitch (=a very excited level).3 music a) APM[singular, uncountable] how high or low a note or other sound is Ultrasonic waves are at a higher pitch than the human ear can hear. b) APM[uncountable] the ability of a musician to play or sing a note at exactly the correct level She’s got perfect pitch.4 persuading [countable] informalBBT the things someone says to persuade people to buy something, do something, or accept an idea an aggressive salesman with a fast-talking sales pitchmake a/somebody’s pitch (for something) (=try to persuade people to do something) He made his strongest pitch yet for standardized testing in schools.5 baseball [countable]DSB a throw of the ball, or a way in which it can be thrown His first pitch was high and wide. 6 black substance [uncountable]TI a black sticky substance that is used on roofs, the bottoms of ships etc to stop water coming through The night was as black as pitch (=very dark). → pitch-black, pitch-dark7 ship/aircraft [uncountable]TTATTS an up and down movement of a ship or an aircraft → roll the pitch and roll of the ship8 slope [singular, uncountable]HORIZONTAL the degree to which a roof slopes or the sloping part of a roof the steep pitch of the roof9 street/market [countable] British EnglishDL a place in a public area where someone goes to sell things or where an entertainer goes to perform We found the boy at his usual pitch at the bottom of the Acropolis. → queer somebody’s pitch/queer the pitch for somebody at queer3
ball games a) [intransitive, transitive]DSB to aim and throw a ball in baseballpitch to Stanton pitched to two batters in the ninth inning. b) [intransitive]DSCDSG if a ball pitches in cricket or golf, it hits the ground c) [transitive]DSG to hit the ball in a high curve in golf d) [transitive]DSC to make the ball hit the ground when you are bowling in cricket3 fall [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]FALL to fall or be moved suddenly in a particular direction, or to make someone or something do thispitch (somebody/something) forward/backward/over etc She slipped and pitched forward onto the ground.pitch somebody/something into/onto/through etc something Without a seat belt, you can easily be pitched right through the windscreen.4 ship/plane [intransitive]TTATTW if a ship or an aircraft pitches, it moves up and down in an uncontrolled way with the movement of the water or air → roll2(4), → yaw5 set a level [transitive] a) CLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTANDto set a speech, examination, explanation etc at a particular level of difficultypitch something at a high level/the right level etc You have to pitch your writing at the right level. Some questions were pitched too high for intermediate students. b) COST British English to set prices at a particular levelbe pitched at something Room rates are pitched at £69 for a single.Grammar Pitch is often passive in this meaning.6 aim product [transitive] to aim a product at a particular type of organization, group of people etc, or to describe it in a particular way, in order to sell itbe pitched at somebody/something The new machine will be pitched at users in the hotel and air reservation business.be pitched as something It is pitched as a cheaper alternative to other workstations.Grammar Pitch is usually passive in this meaning. 7 business deals [intransitive, transitive] informalSELL to try to persuade someone to do business with you, buy something etcpitch for business/contracts/custom etc Booksellers are keen to pitch for school business.pitch to For many companies, pitching to investors has become almost a full-time job. sales reps pitching new gadgets8 voice/music [transitive always + adverb/preposition]CSAPM if you pitch your voice or another sound at a particular level, the sound is produced at that levelpitch something high/low etc Her voice is pitched a little too high. → high-pitched, low-pitched9 → pitch a tent/pitch camp10 slope [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]HORIZONTAL to slope downpitch gently/steeply etc The roof pitches sharply to the rear of the house. → pitched11 → pitch somebody a line → pitch in → pitch into somebody/something → pitch up→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
pitch• Thomas already was widely admired for his combination of power and pitch selection.• The village has attractive playing fields, with a football and cricket pitch.• The same syllables were sung repeatedly at a number of different pitches.• Tavarez got Sanders to ground into an inning-ending double play on his first pitch.• Ryan's first pitch was high and wide.• Swindon Town away against Sunderland has been postponed because of a water-logged pitch at Roker Park.• There, Williams wowed national coaches with her array of pitches.• Kendrick's pitch was good throughout the first aria.• Barnett ruled a two-strike pitch from Shawn Boskie was a called third strike.• The President made his strongest pitch yet for standardized testing in schools.• Son of Star Wars replicates that pitch.• As the vehicle approaches, the pitch of its siren increases and then it decreases as the vehicle speeds past.• Then start to lower the pitch attitude by maximum stages of a half bar. 3.• Some of the fans rushed onto the pitch at the end of the match• the pitch of the roof• The pitch went wide.football/cricket/rugby etc pitch• In abeyance at the moment is a cricket pitch.• There is a playing field with equipment for the younger members of the community, and a football and cricket pitch.• There will also be a floodlit multi-purpose outside court, and two hockey and football pitches.• Since the school took up so much space on the island, the rugby pitches were the size of tennis courts.• He looked as if he had just walked off the cricket pitch.• It had not been spent on the football pitch, however, nor the training ground.• An orderly queue was formed, stretching throughout the corridors of Hardside and out on to the rugby pitches.• The garden will double as go-kart track, cricket pitch, tennis court.reached ... pitch• When nagging failed, her frustration reached a pitch in which she screamed and threw objects round the house.• But he had reached a pitch where he couldn't give up.• Bankside activity has reached such a pitch, even at night, that the carp will not come near the margins.• Speculation about the deportations have reached fever pitch in Hong Kong.• Public support for the system was waning steadily as accusations of sleaze in high places reached fever pitch.• But as the game's tempo reached fever pitch, Saunders squandered a golden opportunity to grab an equaliser. perfect pitch• The woodwind maintained a perfect pitch and, like the strings and brass, produced a consistently voluptuous sound.• In pastoral terms, the program had perfect pitch.• Tom had perfect pitch and a wonderful recall and he could sing whole passages from Boccherini's aviary music.• You had perfect pitch, my love.• I have neither perfect pitch nor a head for mathematics, and anyway who wants to compute the speed of history?• In essays on whisky-tasting, sheath knives, deer hunting, he has a kind of perfect pitch.• Computer games that require a player to recognise perfect pitch might also help, Saffran says.• But the five people in Saffran's group with perfect pitch had started learning aged four.sales pitch• Don't give them a sales pitch because there is nothing more irritating.• Personally I think this is another of his sales pitches.• There was nothing spectacular about my sales pitch except the language in which it was couched.• The analogy of the sales pitch is revealing, for advertisers do not promote their product merely by providing information about it.• Yadda, yadda, enough with the sales pitch and on to the point.• The sales pitch can be so slick that many consumers don't even realize they have bought magazines until the bill arrives.• The sales pitch is a wonderful movie moment.• Many of us are too polite to resist their pressure and we end up sacrificing our time to their sales pitch.pitch and roll• Check pitch and roll attitude whilst re-setting. 3.• Some types allow full freedom in pitch and roll, but older instruments are limited to 60° pitch and 90° roll.• There will be no direct indication of pitch and roll.• Hold the required pitch and roll attitude and check balance and heading. 8.• This one was maybe fifteen foot, the most difficult of the set, pitching and rolling like a drunk.• The violent pitching and rolling began at 10: 54 a.m.• The Land Rover was pitching and rolling over the southern brow like a small seagoing craft. pitchpitch2 ●○○ verb 1 throw [transitive always + adverb/preposition]THROW to throw something with a lot of force, often aiming carefully She crumpled up the page and pitched it into the fire.► see thesaurus at throw2 ball games a) [intransitive, transitive]DSB to aim and throw a ball in baseballpitch to Stanton pitched to two batters in the ninth inning. b) [intransitive]DSCDSG if a ball pitches in cricket or golf, it hits the ground c) [transitive]DSG to hit the ball in a high curve in golf d) [transitive]DSC to make the ball hit the ground when you are bowling in cricket3 fall [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]FALL to fall or be moved suddenly in a particular direction, or to make someone or something do thispitch (somebody/something) forward/backward/over etc She slipped and pitched forward onto the ground.pitch somebody/something into/onto/through etc something Without a seat belt, you can easily be pitched right through the windscreen.4 ship/plane [intransitive]TTATTW if a ship or an aircraft pitches, it moves up and down in an uncontrolled way with the movement of the water or air → roll2(4), → yaw5 set a level [transitive] a) CLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTANDto set a speech, examination, explanation etc at a particular level of difficultypitch something at a high level/the right level etc You have to pitch your writing at the right level. Some questions were pitched too high for intermediate students. b) COST British English to set prices at a particular levelbe pitched at something Room rates are pitched at £69 for a single.Grammar Pitch is often passive in this meaning.6 aim product [transitive] to aim a product at a particular type of organization, group of people etc, or to describe it in a particular way, in order to sell itbe pitched at somebody/something The new machine will be pitched at users in the hotel and air reservation business.be pitched as something It is pitched as a cheaper alternative to other workstations.Grammar Pitch is usually passive in this meaning. 7 business deals [intransitive, transitive] informalSELL to try to persuade someone to do business with you, buy something etcpitch for business/contracts/custom etc Booksellers are keen to pitch for school business.pitch to For many companies, pitching to investors has become almost a full-time job. sales reps pitching new gadgets8 voice/music [transitive always + adverb/preposition]CSAPM if you pitch your voice or another sound at a particular level, the sound is produced at that levelpitch something high/low etc Her voice is pitched a little too high. → high-pitched, low-pitched9 → pitch a tent/pitch camp10 slope [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]HORIZONTAL to slope downpitch gently/steeply etc The roof pitches sharply to the rear of the house. → pitched11 → pitch somebody a line → pitch in → pitch into somebody/something → pitch up→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
pitch• Ryan pitched a curve ball which easily beat the batter.• Swing low, sweet Chariot is left unaccompanied, but that involves a disturbing oddity of pitching at the start.• Johnny learned to pitch by aiming at a target his Dad had painted on the side of the garage.• A sudden gust of wind pitched him off the ledge and he was left hanging by his safety rope.• Tod pitched his coat onto the sofa and ran toward the kitchen.• I hear Aubrey pitching his voice above the hubbub: engines; horns; bicycle bells.• I have come home and there is not left me a place on which to pitch my lodge.• Seawitch tugged at her line again, pitching on the rising swell.• Phil Niekro pitched on two division winners.• Two of the crew were pitched overboard when a big wave hit their ship.• Steinbach will have his hands full with a pitching staff fresh out of the box.• All too often you pitch the ball short, catch the slope and finish back on the lower layer.• She pitched the ball to the little boy.• The investment was pitched to parents as a safe way to deal with rising college costs.• Stanton pitched to two batters in the ninth inning.pitch to• Gardner writes that most successful political speeches are pitched to a five-year-old's level.pitch (somebody/something) forward/backward/over etc• Chapman recalled his players from the pitch.• Immediately the howling wind caught him, nearly pitching him over.• Instead, the pitch was taken over by massed Southend fans demanding the resignation of chairman Vic Jobson.• As he did so, the stick jerked between Angela's legs and pitched her forward, head first.• In the process, she accidentally pitched her friend over the cliff.• He plunged through the open door and pitched the parcel over the heads of the crowd into the middle of the road.• The Land Rover was pitching and rolling over the southern brow like a small seagoing craft.• If you found the opening pitch a bit over the top, the follow-up would gross you out completely.pitch for business/contracts/custom etc• It helps to avoid potential conflicts of interest, but equally it has pitched for business against its parent - and won.pitch gently/steeply etc• From there, I increased pitch gently to pull the thousand-pound mule into the air.From Longman Business Dictionarypitchpitch1 /pɪtʃ/ noun [countable]1 (also sales pitch) informalMARKETING what a sales person says about a product to persuade people to buy it2MARKETING an attempt by an ADVERTISING AGENCY to persuade a company to use its services to advertise a productEach agency made its pitch.3British EnglishCOMMERCE a place in a public area where a street trader goes to sell thingspitchpitch2 verb1[transitive]FINANCE to set prices at a particular levelPrices for the new trucks are pitched very competitively.2[intransitive, transitive] informalMARKETING to try to make a business agreement, or to sell something in a particular waysales reps pitching the latest gadgetsThe resort is being pitched as a conference venue.pitch forThe luxury clothing retailer has invited a number of agencies to pitch for its estimated £1.5 million international business.→ See Verb tableOrigin pitch1 1. (1400-1500) → PITCH22. Old English pic, from Latin pix pitch2 (1100-1200) Origin unknown 