See Also: pitfall(dictionary)
pitfall(dictionary)

pitfall (iou)



pitfall noun. ME.
[App. from PIT noun1 + FALL noun1, now usu. taken as FALL noun2 or verb.]
An ambush. Only in ME.
A concealed pit into which animals etc. may fall and be captured. Formerly also spec., a trap for catching birds in which a trapdoor falls over a hollow. LME.
A cunning device designed to catch someone unawares. Now rare. L16.
A hidden or unsuspected danger, drawback, difficulty or opportunity for error. M18.
Science News Letter The road to conquest of poliomyelitis..has been long and full of pitfalls. N. Sedaka My life too has had..its brief summits and sudden pitfalls.
pitfalled adjective full of pitfalls E19.