Why do we call it pitch black?

Pitch is made by distilling wood tar, and it is, indeed, black or at least dark brown. The phrase “pitch black” simply describes a type of blackness, just as “butter yellow” and “sky blue” describe other colors. It’s created from distilling wood tar—that’s the resinous goo that drips from some coniferous trees.

What is pitch black darkness?

adjective. If a place or the night is pitch-black, it is completely dark.

What is the meaning pitch dark?

Definition of pitch-dark : extremely dark : pitch-black.

Is pitch blackness a word?

extremely black or dark as pitch: a pitch-black night.

Is it pitch black or pitch black?

It looks like both forms are in use. And Merriam-Webster has entries for pitch-dark and pitch-black. I personally wouldn’t sweat it. Please take a few minutes to read our rules for commenting.

Where does the term pitch come from?

It comes from the Middle English pichen, meaning to drive or fix firmly. Since the end of the 17th century, the process of pitching stumps into the ground to set up a game of cricket has been called “pitching the stumps”. By the late 1800s, people started using “pitch” as a noun to describe a playing area.

Should Pitch Black be hyphenated?

“Pitch Black” & “Zima Blue”) it’s left un-hyphened, however I’ve seen examples of longer titles where the color is hyphenated, but not always. A couple examples being “Pitch-Black Pursuer” & “Jet-Black Wings.”

What is the opposite of pitch black?

What is the opposite of pitch-black?

white	good
happy	hopeful

Is it pitch black or pitch dark?

Pitch-dark means the same as pitch-black.

Is pitch black hyphenated?

How would you describe pitch black?

If a place or the night is pitch-black, it is completely dark.

Why do the British call a field a pitch?

A soccer field is called a pitch because when soccer first became popular in England in the 19th century, teams often played games on a cricket pitch. When soccer began to use designated soccer fields, the term used to describe the playing surface stuck, and a soccer field was called a soccer pitch.

What is the origin of the term ‘pitch dark’?

‘Pitch dark’ derives from the earlier expression ‘pitch black’, which in turn derives as a variant of ‘as black as pitch’. The latter variant was first recorded in several 14th century texts. ‘Pitch black’ is known from John Marston’s satire The Scourge of Villanie, 1598: Hath drawn false lights from pitch-black loueries.

What is a dark sticky wood tar?

Pitch is a dark sticky wood tar. Pitch is the sticky, resinous, black or dark brown substance that is obtained as a residue from the distillation of wood tar or turpentine. ‘Pitch dark’ derives from the earlier expression ‘pitch black’, which in turn derives as a variant of ‘as black as pitch’.

What is the meaning of intensely dark?

Intensely dark. Origin. ‘Pitch dark’, or ‘pitch darkness’, is an expression used to indicate an absolute absence of light. Of course, this condition, is rarely achieved in nature and the phrase is used in practise to mean ‘extremely or intensely dark’.