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PITCH . (I) (0 . Eng. pic, an adaptation ofSee also: Lat. pix, picis, Gr. vivo—a, 7rirra, allied with Gr
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7rLTVr, See also: pine-See also: tree, Lat. pines), the name of various substances of dark colour and of extremely viscid and tenacious consistency when subjected to heat
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Strictly the See also: term is applied to the resinous substance obtained as a solid residuum by the See also: distillation of See also: wood-See also: tar (see TAR), or the non-resinous substance similarly produced from See also: Coal-tar (q.v.)
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The name is also applied to the natural See also: mineral sub-stances, i.e. See also: asphalt or See also: bitumen (qq.v.)
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(2) A noun of various meanings which are somewhat difficult to connect with the verb from which they apparently must be derived
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" To pitch " means primarily to thrust in or See also: fix a stake or other pointed See also: object into the ground, hence to place in a fixed position, set in See also: order, cast or throw, hence to incline or slope
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The etymology is obscure, but it appears in See also: Northern dialects as " pick," of which it may be a variant; there is some difficulty in connecting this See also: form with " pick," variant of " pike " (q.v.)
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