Meaning & use
Pitt
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Meanings
proper nounproperinformalAmerican
The usual nickname for the University of Pittsburgh, a large public university in Pennsylvania.
Grammar: Always capitalized, and used without the: she goes to Pitt, not the Pitt.
Patterns
- go to Pitt
- study at Pitt
My cousin studies nursing at Pitt.
Pitt plays its home football games in the city.
She got a scholarship to Pitt.
proper nounproper
A family name, borne by two British prime ministers, William Pitt the Elder and his son, and by actor Brad Pitt.
Grammar: As a surname it takes a person's first name or title: William Pitt, Mr Pitt.
William Pitt the Younger became prime minister at the age of twenty-four.
Pitt led the government during a long war with France.
The Pitt family name appears often in British history books.
Common combinations
- Pitt alumni
- Pitt alumni gathered in the city for the reunion.
- Pitt campus
- The Pitt campus sits in the Oakland neighborhood.
- Pitt Panthers
- The Pitt Panthers won their opening game.
- William Pitt
- William Pitt the Younger was the youngest British prime minister.
- Pitt the Elder
- Pitt the Elder was famous for his speeches.
Synonyms and how they differ
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Pittsburgh is the full formal name, while Pitt is a shorter, friendly name used by students and fans.
Word family
- Pittsburgh proper noun
- the city in Pennsylvania where the university is based
- Pittite noun
- informal word for a student or graduate of the university
Commonly confused: Pitt or pit?
Pitt vs pit
A pit is a deep hole in the ground or the stone in a fruit. Pitt is a name or a university nickname.
Practice
Which university do people usually mean when they say they study at Pitt?
Choose one answer.
Pitt is the common nickname for the University of Pittsburgh. Penn, Penn State and Carnegie Mellon have their own different names.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Pitt”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.