pith

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable, usually) The soft, spongy substance inside plant parts; specifically, the parenchyma in the centre of the roots and stems of many plants and trees.
2. (uncountable, usually) The albedo (“whitish inner portion of the rind”) of a citrus fruit.
3. (broadly, uncountable, usually) Senses relating to humans and animals.
4. (broadly, uncountable, usually) Senses relating to humans and animals.
5. (broadly, obsolete, uncountable, usually) Senses relating to humans and animals.
6. (broadly, obsolete, rare, uncountable, usually) Senses relating to humans and animals.
7. (Ireland, Southern-England, West-Country, broadly, uncountable, usually) The soft inner portion of a loaf of bread.
8. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) The central or innermost part of something; the core, the heart.
9. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) The essential or vital part of something; the essence.
10. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) Physical power or strength; force, might.
11. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) A quality of courage and endurance; backbone, mettle, spine.
12. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) The energy, force, or power of speech or writing; specifically, such force or power due to conciseness; punch, punchiness.
13. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) Chiefly in of (great) pith and moment: gravity, importance, substance, weight.

Verb

1. (transitive) To render insensate or kill (an animal, especially cattle or a laboratory animal) by cutting, piercing, or otherwise destroying the spinal cord.
2. (transitive) To extract the pith from (something or (figurative) someone).

Adj

The ordinal form of the number pi (π; approximately 3.14159…).

Synonyms

essence

marrow

core

kernel

heart

❤️

gist

substance

pulp

spirit

flesh

🥩

nub

medulla

nitty-gritty

heart and soul

meat

🥩

vigour

soul

quintessence

pithiness

centre

point

quiddity

interior

inwardness

spinal cord

sum

matter

force

center

nucleus

vigor

vim

virility

wick

vital part

central part

weight

sinewiness

pulpa

Valency

meaning

myelo

backbone

being

brain

🧠

burden

content

crumb

crux

energy

Translations

moelle

Mark

midollo

médula

medula

noyau

🪨

medula

meollo

pit

Kern

εντεριώνη

essence

cœur

❤️

nucli

Pronounced as (IPA)

/pɪθ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: pith

Inherited from Old English: piþa

Cognate with Middle English: pethen

Cognate with Dutch: peen

Cognate with Middle Low German: peddek

Cognate with Low German: Peddik

Cognate with Western Frisian: piid

In summary

The noun is derived from Middle English pith, pithe (“central tissue of a plant’s stem or a tree’s trunk and branches; other spongy inner tissue in a plant; flesh of a fruit, pulp; inner tissue in a body; inner part of an object; essential part, essence, quintessence; importance, value; energy, force, strength, vigour; severity”) [and other forms], from Old English piþa [and other forms], from Proto-Germanic *piþô, from earlier *piþō (oblique *pittan); further etymology unknown. Doublet of pit (“seed or stone inside a fruit”).
The verb is derived from the noun (Middle English pethen (“to give courage or strength”), from pith (noun), did not survive into modern English).
Cognates
* Dutch peen (“carrot”)
* Middle Low German peddek, peddik, piddek (“bone marrow; medulla; spinal cord; inner part of a horn or quill; (figurative) core, essence”) (the last spelling rare) (Low German Peddik (“core; pulp”))
* West Frisian piid (“pulp, kernel”)