pith

English

Etymology

Old English piþa, from Proto-Germanic *piþan (compare West Frisian piid 'pulp, kernel', Dutch peen 'carrot', Low German Peddik 'pulp, core'), from earlier *piþō (oblique *pittan). Doublet of pit. The verb meaning "to kill by cutting or piercing the spinal cord" is attested 1805.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pɪθ/
• Rhymes: -ɪθ

Noun

pith (uncountable)

1. The soft spongy substance in the center of the stems of many plants and trees.
2. (figuratively) The essential or vital part of an idea or theory or something else.

   The pith of my idea is truth.

Synonyms

• (essential or necessary part): core, essence, general tenor, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, kernel, marrow, meat, nitty-gritty, nub, quintessence, soul, spirit, stuff, substance

Related terms

• pith helmet

Translations

soft spongy substance in the center of the stems of many plants and trees

Finnish: ydin (fi) French: moelle (fr) Hebrew: מהות (he) (mahut)

Italian: midollino (it) m. Norwegian: marg (no) m. Spanish: médula (es), medula (es), pulpa (es)

essential or vital part

Finnish: ydin (fi) French: moelle (fr), coeur (fr)

Spanish: médula (es), medula (es), meollo (es)

Verb

pith (third-person singular simple present piths, present participle pithing, simple past and past participle pithed)

1. (transitive) To extract the pith from (a plant stem or tree).
2. (transitive) To kill (especially cattle or laboratory animals) by cutting or piercing the spinal cord.