pitchfork Meaning & Definition
What Does Pitchfork Mean?
As a noun, pitchfork means An agricultural hand tool comprising a fork with sparse, light tines, attached to a long handle, used for pitching hay (especially loose hay) high up onto a stack (as on a wagon or haystack, or into a haymow). It can also mean A similar fork with slightly more and heavier tines, used for mucking stalls and pitching soiled bedding into a wagon or manure spreader. As a verb, it means To toss or carry with a pitchfork.
Quick Facts About Pitchfork
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɪt͡ʃˌfɔɹk/ |
| Synonyms | fork |
| Plural | pitchforks |
| Verb forms | pitchforks, pitchforking, pitchforked |
Pitchfork Definition (Noun)
- An agricultural hand tool comprising a fork with sparse, light tines, attached to a long handle, used for pitching hay (especially loose hay) high up onto a stack (as on a wagon or haystack, or into a haymow).
- A similar fork with slightly more and heavier tines, used for mucking stalls and pitching soiled bedding into a wagon or manure spreader.
- Any fork used for farm labor, even a digging fork (but such usage is often considered ignorant by experienced farmers).
- An angry mob; the power or effects of such a mob.
The city council was facing the pitchforks once the public had realized what the new ordinance entailed.
- A tuning fork.
Pitchfork as a Verb
- To toss or carry with a pitchfork.
The hay was soon pitchforked onto the wagon.
- To throw suddenly.
Synonyms of Pitchfork
Pitchfork synonyms and antonyms →Pitchfork in a Sentence
The city council was facing the pitchforks once the public had realized what the new ordinance entailed.
The hay was soon pitchforked onto the wagon.
Word Forms & Grammar
pitchfork (plural pitchforks)
pitchfork (third-person singular simple present pitchforks, present participle pitchforking, simple past and past participle pitchforked)
Words That Rhyme With Pitchfork
Origin of Pitchfork
From Middle English pichfork, pycchefork, pychforke, pikeforke, pikkforke, pic-forcke, equivalent to pitch (verb) + fork (i.e. "a fork used for pitching or throwing material, like hay"). The figurative sense (noun sense 4) is an allusion to a crowd of farmers wielding their farm tools as weapons.
Questions People Ask About Pitchfork
Is pitchfork a noun or a verb?
Pitchfork is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for pitchfork?
Close synonyms of pitchfork are fork. See the full list of pitchfork synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of pitchfork?
The plural of pitchfork is pitchforks.
What is the past tense of pitchfork?
The past tense of pitchfork is pitchforked. The present participle is pitchforking.