Meaning & use

pitchfork

noun·Academic

A long-handled farm tool with two or more sharp metal prongs, used for lifting and moving hay or straw.

See it in a sentence

The farmer used a pitchfork to load fresh hay onto the wagon.

Angry villagers in the old story marched on the castle carrying torches and pitchforks.

A note on using this word

Pitchfork appears frequently in idiomatic images of angry mobs, even though its literal use is strictly agricultural.

Words with a similar meaning

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