pithead

English

Etymology

pit +‎ head

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɪtˈhɛd/

Noun

pithead (plural pitheads)

1. The area around the top of the mineshaft of a coal mine.
   • 1962 September, “Remodelling of Basford Hall Yard, Crewe”, in Modern Railways, page 189:

     Since the war there has been a reallocation of output from pitheads in the North Staffordshire coalfield, resulting in a flow of coal northwards; [...].

2. A hoverfly of the genus Pipiza.

Alternative forms

• (sense 1) pit head

References

• “pithead”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.