pit stop

noun

1

: a stop at the pits during an automobile race

2

a(1)

: a stop (as during a trip) for fuel, food, or rest or for use of a restroom

(2)

: a temporary deviation from a direct or usual course

a career pit stop … where he worked temporarily in between TV jobs

—Mark Lorando

b(1)

: a place where a pit stop is or can be made

(2)

: an establishment providing food or drink

Examples of pit stop in a Sentence

We made a pit stop for some food before getting back on the highway.

This little town is an ideal pit stop between the two cities.

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement Museum stores have come a long way from being mere pit stops for postcards and key chains. —Maxwell Williams, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024

Think of this bottle as the ultimate road trip companion for someone who constantly makes pit stops at the gas station to grab another seltzer or a solution for an office or dorm room mini fridge that simply can’t fit an entire case of La Croix. —Oset Babür-Winter, Bon Appétit, 20 Nov. 2024

Former President Trump returned to battleground North Carolina Saturday evening, after making a pit stop in Virginia earlier in the day. —The Hill Staff, The Hill, 2 Nov. 2024

With the new Google Maps update, the app will automatically recommend pit stops along your route, whether that means grabbing a croissant whilst on a stroll through Paris, or checking out the world’s largest ball of twine during a Kansas road trip. —Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pit stop

noun

1

: a stop at the pits during an automobile race

2

a

: a stop (as during a trip) for fuel, food, or rest or for use of a restroom

b

: a place where a pit stop is or can be made