pit stop

noun

1

: a stop at the pits during an automobile race

2

a(1)

: a stop (as during a trip) for fuel, food, or rest or for use of a restroom

(2)

: a temporary deviation from a direct or usual course

a career pit stop … where he worked temporarily in between TV jobs

—Mark Lorando

b(1)

: a place where a pit stop is or can be made

(2)

: an establishment providing food or drink

Examples of pit stop in a Sentence

We made a pit stop for some food before getting back on the highway.

This little town is an ideal pit stop between the two cities.

Recent Examples on the Web

The One Party by Uber The One Party by Uber makes its way from Las Vegas to New Orleans for its next Super Bowl pit stop on Feb. 7. —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025

Magnolia Pictures is taking North American rights to Kevin Macdonald’s documentary One to One: John & Yoko, which after making its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and playing at Telluride is making a pit stop in the Spotlight section this week at the Sundance Film Festival. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2025

These countries may simply be pit stops in longer China-centric supply chains, economists have noted. —Tobias Burns, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2025

Around when all the first pit stops happened, Verstappen seemed set to win the drivers’ championship, sitting fourth on lap 14 while Norris was seventh. —Madeline Coleman, The Athletic, 23 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pit stop

noun

1

: a stop at the pits during an automobile race

2

a

: a stop (as during a trip) for fuel, food, or rest or for use of a restroom

b

: a place where a pit stop is or can be made