English Meaning & Definitions
The spongy white tissue lining the rind of an orange, lemon, and other citrus fruits.
- “Be sure to remove the bitter white pith before juicing the grapefruit.”
- “The zest provides flavor, but the pith can make the marmalade taste unpleasantly bitter.”
The essence, core, or most important part of something.
- “The pith of his argument was that the current economic policy is unsustainable.”
- “She managed to capture the very pith of the human condition in her short story.”
To pierce or sever the spinal cord of an animal, typically to kill it or immobilize it humanely.
- “In laboratory settings, researchers may pith the specimen to ensure it remains still during the procedure.”
- “The frog was pithed to prevent any pain during the dissection.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “pith”.
Derived from the Old English 'pitha', meaning the marrow or kernel of a plant. It shares roots with the Middle Dutch 'pit', referring to the core or seed. Historically, it evolved to represent both the physical center of a plant and, metaphorically, the essential or most important part of an argument or idea.
Think of the 'pit' of a fruit; the pith is the essential core or center of the matter.
Frequently Asked Questions About “pith”
1. What is the meaning of “pith” in English?
In English, pith (noun) is defined as: “The spongy white tissue lining the rind of an orange, lemon, and other citrus fruits.”.
2. How do you use “pith” in a sentence?
“Be sure to remove the bitter white pith before juicing the grapefruit.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “pith”?
Derived from the Old English 'pitha', meaning the marrow or kernel of a plant. It shares roots with the Middle Dutch 'pit', referring to the core or seed. Historically, it evolved to represent both the physical center of a plant and, metaphorically, the essential or most important part of an argument or idea.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.