pitfall
English edit
Etymology edit
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”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
pitfall (plural pitfalls)
- (figurative) A potential, unsuspected, hidden problem, hazard, or danger that is easily encountered but not immediately obvious.
- Synonym: trap
- It's usually a simple task, but you should know the pitfalls before you attempt it yourself.
- (literal) A type of trap consisting of a concealed pit in the ground, which the victim is supposed to fall into and not be able to get out from.
- Synonym: trapping pit
- (computing) An antipattern.
- Synonyms: antipattern, dark pattern
- (mining) Subsidence below ground in a mine, which can cause the ground level above to drop.
- 1939 June, “Pertinent Paragraphs: Pitfalls”, in Railway Magazine, page 456:
- 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.
Hyponyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
potential problem, hazard, or danger
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trapping pit
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antipattern — see antipattern
Further reading edit
pitfall (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
