Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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adj
The ordinal form of the number pi (π; approximately 3.14159...).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, transitive
Topics: mathematics, sciences
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The soft, spongy substance inside plant parts; specifically, the parenchyma in the centre of the roots and stems of many plants and trees.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: marrow, medulla
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The albedo (“whitish inner portion of the rind”) of a citrus fruit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Senses relating to humans and animals.
The soft tissue inside a human or animal body or one of their organs; specifically, the spongy interior substance of a horn or the shaft of a feather.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: medulla
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Senses relating to humans and animals.
Chiefly of animals: the soft tissue inside a spinal cord; the spinal marrow; also, the spinal cord itself.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: medulla
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Senses relating to humans and animals.
Synonym of diploe (“the thin layer of soft, spongy, or cancellate tissue between the bone plates which constitute the skull”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, obsolete, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: diploe
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Senses relating to humans and animals.
The soft tissue of the brain.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, obsolete, rare, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The soft inner portion of a loaf of bread.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, Southern-England, West-Country, broadly, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The central or innermost part of something; the core, the heart.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: kernel, marrow
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The essential or vital part of something; the essence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable, usually
Synonyms: crux, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, kernel, marrow, meat, medulla, nitty-gritty, nub, quintessence, soul, spirit, substance, bowels, sum, brass tacks, core, essence, drift, guts, gravamen, heartstring, heartstrings, moral of the story, nuts and bolts, pith, punctum saliens, stuff, tenor
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Physical power or strength; force, might.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A quality of courage and endurance; backbone, mettle, spine.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The energy, force, or power of speech or writing; specifically, such force or power due to conciseness; punch, punchiness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Chiefly in of (great) pith and moment: gravity, importance, substance, weight.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
One divided by pi, that is, 1/π (approximately 0.31831...).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To render insensate or kill (an animal, especially cattle or a laboratory animal) by cutting, piercing, or otherwise destroying the spinal cord.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To extract the pith from (something or (figurative) someone).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: kernel, substance, core, center, centre, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, sum, nitty-gritty
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: content, cognitive content, mental object
Narrower terms: bare bones, hypostasis, quiddity, haecceity, quintessence, stuff
noun
soft spongelike central cylinder of the stems of most flowering plants
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: plant tissue
verb
remove the pith from (a plant)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: get rid of, remove
History
From pi (“constant representing the ratio of the circumference of a Euclidean circle to its diameter”) + -th (suffix forming ordinal numerals).
The noun is derived from Middle English pith, pithe (“soft interior; pith, pulp”) [and other forms], from Old English piþa [and other forms], from Proto-Germanic *piþô, from earlier *piþō (oblique *pittan); further etymology unknown. Doublet of pit (“seed or stone inside a fruit”). The verb Middle English pethen (“to give courage or strength”), derived from the noun pith (noun), did not survive into modern English. Cognates * Dutch peen (“carrot”) * Middle Low German peddek, peddik, piddek (“bone marrow; medulla; spinal cord; inner part of a horn or quill; (figurative) core, essence”) (the last spelling rare) (Low German Peddik (“core; pulp”)) * West Frisian piid (“pulp, kernel”)
Across languages
98 source translations are retained for this English entry.
