English

Etymology
Old English piþa, plant pith, gist, from West Germanic pithan-; the verb meaning to kill by cutting or piercing the spinal cord is attested 1805.

Pronunciation
Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-ɪθ|-ɪθ

Noun
pith (uncountable)

1. The soft spongy substance in the center of the stems of many plants and trees.
2. figuratively The essential or vital part of an idea or theory or something else.

#:the pith of my idea is ...

Synonyms
(essential or necessary part): core, essence, general tenor, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, kernel, marrow, meat, nitty-gritty, nub, quintessence, soul, spirit, stuff, substance

Related terms
pith helmet

Transitive verb
rfc-trverb|Transitive verb
en-verb

1. To extract the pith from (a plant stem or tree).
2. To kill (especially cattle or laboratory animals) by cutting or piercing the spinal cord.

fa:pith
fr:pith
io:pith
it:pith
fi:pith
te:pith
vi:pith
zh:pith

• 2007-10-04 04:00 - Interwicket - iwiki +te

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