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pit stop

/ˌpɪt ˈstɑp/
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Other forms: pit stops

A pit stop is a pause or a break, especially when you've been driving in a car. You'll probably need to take several pit stops if you're driving from New Hampshire to Oklahoma.

The original meaning of pit stop, one that's commonly used by car racing enthusiasts, is the place on a racetrack where a car stops briefly to be refueled, get minor repairs, or have tires replaced, before continuing with the race. The place itself is a pit stop, and the act of stopping is too, whether you're racing or driving down the highway: "Let's make a pit stop at that great ice cream place!"

Definitions of pit stop
  1. noun
    a stop during an automobile trip for rest and refreshment
    see moresee less
    type of:
    layover, stop, stopover
    a brief stay in the course of a journey
  2. noun
    a brief stop at a pit during an automobile race to take on fuel or service the car
    see moresee less
    type of:
    layover, stop, stopover
    a brief stay in the course of a journey
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