pit bull

or pit·bull

[ pit bool ]

noun

1. a stocky, muscular dog with a broad skull and a smooth coat, belonging to an informal category of purebred and mixed-breed dogs that includes the American Staffordshire terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier, and sometimes the American bulldog or boxer.
2. Also called A·mer·i·can pit bull ter·rier. American Staffordshire terrier ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of pit bull¹

First recorded in 1925–30; pit ¹( def ) (in the sense “enclosure for staging animal fights”) + bull(dog) ( def )

Example Sentences

Nate Meadows, who was walking a pit bull mix down an alley behind Evo, where he lives, would welcome a new park.

From Los Angeles Times

Later that day, Omura checked out a small park where an angry man with a pit bull had been reported.

From Los Angeles Times

McKinley says nobody will mess with her as long as she has D’bo, the pit bull, by her side.

From Los Angeles Times

Local media have reported that two of the dogs were bulldogs and the third was a pit bull.

From BBC

In a press conference, Senior Sgt Scott Warrick said police had arrived to find the woman bleeding heavily outside the house and the dog, believed to be a pit bull, inside.

From BBC