Dictionary

pitfall en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɪtfɔl/ (US)
• pĭtʹfäl (US)
• (US) audio
• /ˈpɪtfɔːl/ (UK)
• pĭtʹfôl (UK)

Etymology

First recorded use in the 14th century from pit + fall in the sense of "pit trap, pit snare", from Old English fealle (“trap, snare”), from Proto-Germanic *fallą, *fallaz (“a fall, trap”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pōl-. Cognate with German Falle (“trap, snare”).

Meanings

1. (qualifier:literal) A type of trap consisting of a concealed pit in the ground, into which the victim is supposed to fall and not be able to get out from.
2. (figuratively) A potential, unsuspected, hidden problem, hazard, or danger that is easily encountered but not immediately obvious.
   • It's usually a simple task, but you should know the pitfalls before you attempt it yourself.
3. An antipattern.
4. Subsidence below ground in a mine, which can cause the ground level above to drop.
   • This pitfall, beginning in February and finishing in May, resulted in a drop of about 3 ft. in the platform level; during this period it was necessary to level the track three times weekly, and impose a service slack of 15 m.p.h. The subsidence appears now to have finished, and normal speed is once again permitted. 1939 June, “Pertinent Paragraphs: Pitfalls”, in Railway Magazine, page 456:

Forms

Deriveds

pitfall and gin · pitfalling · pitfalled

Synonyms

trapping pit · trap · antipattern · dark pattern

pitfall en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɪtfɔl/ (US)
• pĭtʹfäl (US)
• (US) audio
• /ˈpɪtfɔːl/ (UK)
• pĭtʹfôl (UK)

Etymology

First recorded use in the 14th century from pit + fall in the sense of "pit trap, pit snare", from Old English fealle (“trap, snare”), from Proto-Germanic *fallą, *fallaz (“a fall, trap”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pōl-. Cognate with German Falle (“trap, snare”).

Meanings

1. (figuratively, transitive, uncommon) To trap, snare, or ensnare someone or something.

Forms

Translations (67)

eo kaptilo (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · pt cilada (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · it pericolo (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · la fovea (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · sk nástraha (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · fr piège (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · hu verem (trapping pit) · mi pokereti (trapping pit) · nl valkuil (trapping pit) · cmn 陷阱 (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · fr chausse-trape (trapping pit) · ru подво́дные ка́мни (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · da fælde (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · no fangstgrav (trapping pit) · fr écueil (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · it trappola (trapping pit) · it tranello (trapping pit) · fi vaara (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · hu csapda (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · nb fallgruve (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · es trampa (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · nn fallgruve (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · fr trappe (trapping pit) · sv fallgrop (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · ja 落とし穴 (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · fi ansakuoppa (trapping pit) · ja 落穴 (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · nl valkuil (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · hu kelepce (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · ru западня́ (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · bg вълча яма (trapping pit) · es escollo (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · pt armadilha (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · es trampa (trapping pit) · de Fanggrube (trapping pit) · ru лову́шка (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · ga gaiste (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · cy bratbwll (trapping pit) · bg клопка (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · fa خطر (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · de Fallstrick (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · hu csapda (trapping pit) · de Wildgrube (trapping pit) · fi sudenkuoppa (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · it insidia (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · es asechanza (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · grc σιρός (trapping pit) · grc λάπαθος (trapping pit) · da faldgrube (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · grc σιρός (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · ca escull (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · de Fallgrube (trapping pit) · es obstáculo (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · da faldgrube (trapping pit) · pt fojo (trapping pit) · sv fälla (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · eo enfalujo (trapping pit) · cy magl (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · fo veiðigrøv (trapping pit) · no fangstgrop (trapping pit) · fa مشکل (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · it trabocchetto (trapping pit) · ja 落し穴 (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · sv fallgrop (trapping pit) · sv fångstgrop (trapping pit) · hu buktató (potential problem, hazard, or danger) · fi riski (potential problem, hazard, or danger)