piton

noun

pi·​ton ˈpē-ˌtän How to pronounce piton (audio)
: a spike, wedge, or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface as a support (as for a mountain climber)

Examples of piton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Climbing tools — ice axes, crampons, ice screws, pitons and so on — are stronger and lighter than ever. John Branch, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023 But the recent announcement by UNESCO that the Mount Pelée volcano, its rain forests and the dense area that surrounds the lava pitons in the north have been added to the World Heritage List may shine new light on the northern region. Sylvie Bigar, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 Among the historic ones are Bong Eater (named for the large pitons that make a bonging sound when hammered into the rock), Sail Face, Valentine Crack and The Coffin. Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Aug. 2023 Demand for Chouinard’s equipment grew, but making pitons was labor-intensive and expensive. Alana Semuels, Time, 23 Sep. 2019 By the first decade of the 20th century, pioneers were experimenting with first-generation climbing inventions such as steel carabiners and soft iron ring pitons. Freddie Wilkinson, National Geographic, 14 Mar. 2019 Now the apparel maker has released a new line of workwear made from a fabric named after the iron forge that was once used to make pitons, chocks, and wedges. Wes Siler, Outside Online, 12 Apr. 2018 The mountain is considered a non-technical climb, which means no ropes, no picks and no pitons — just hiking for seven or eight days. David Skalski, Philly.com, 14 Feb. 2018 Where to hammer a piton into rock or ice to secure a rope on which life might hang? Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'piton.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of piton was in 1898

Dictionary Entries Near piton

Cite this Entry

“Piton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piton. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

piton

noun
pi·​ton ˈpē-ˌtän How to pronounce piton (audio)
: a spike or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface for support (as for a mountain climber)
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!