Word
pitchfork
Phoneticspitch·fork, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɪtʃˌfɔɹk/
UK/pˈɪtʃfɔːk/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a large tool with a long handle and sharp metal points used for lifting and moving hay or grass.
n. a long-handled farm tool with two or more sharp, curved metal tines used for lifting and tossing hay, straw, or grain.
Examples
“The farmer used a pitchfork to move the hay into the barn.”
“After the harvest, the workers spent the afternoon using pitchforks to stack the straw into neat piles.”
“The angry crowd in the historical drama was depicted carrying torches and pitchforks, a classic visual trope representing a sudden and unorganized uprising of common people.”
Examples
simple
“The farmer used a pitchfork to move the hay into the barn.”
contextual
“After the harvest, the workers spent the afternoon using pitchforks to stack the straw into neat piles.”
complex
“The angry crowd in the historical drama was depicted carrying torches and pitchforks, a classic visual trope representing a sudden and unorganized uprising of common people.”
Usage
Often used metaphorically in the phrase 'pitchforks and torches' to describe a mob or public outrage.
Etymology
From Middle English pichfork, pycchefork, pychforke, pikeforke, pikkforke, pic-forcke, equivalent to pitch + fork.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. rain pitchforks
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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