pit bull

noun

1

or pit bull terrier : a muscular, short-haired, stocky dog (such as an American pit bull terrier or American Staffordshire terrier) of any of several breeds or a hybrid with one or more of these breeds that was originally developed for fighting and is noted for strength, stamina, and tenacity

2

: an aggressive and tenacious person

Synonyms of pit bull

• tiger

Examples of pit bull in a Sentence

a pit bull who won't let anyone stand in her way to the top of the corporate ladder

Recent Examples on the Web

What to know about Bo Bo, a classic mutt comprised of several breeds, including pit bull, according to The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, was found wandering the streets of Florida in 2022. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025

The organization explained that the shelter avoids labeling dogs by breed to help reduce breed bias, which can negatively affect adoption rates, especially for pit bull-type mixes. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025

Josh Hutcherson is the proud owner of two pit bulls, Driver and Manchi (formerly named Smudge). —Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025

While pit bull or rottweiler dogs are leashed, the leash must be held by a person 16 or older. —Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pit bull

• brimful
• handful
• mouthful
• roomful
• spoonful
• full
• pull
• wool

Kids Definition

pit bull

noun

: a dog of any of several breeds originally developed for fighting and noted for strength and stamina