Pit bull or pitbull?
pit bull is a noun meaning “A pit bull terrier”; pitbull is a noun meaning “Shortened form of pit bull terrier”. pit bull is written as two words and pitbull as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between pit bull and pitbull?
| pit bull | pitbull | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun | noun |
| Meaning | A pit bull terrier | Shortened form of pit bull terrier informalAn aggressive person |
| Example | You don't have to be such a pit bull about it. I was only joking | My mother was a pitbull |
| Forms | none | pitbulls |
| Pronunciation | not recorded | not recorded |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | 1.2 times per million words |
Sources: pit bull and pitbull in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of pit bull and pitbull
pit bull
- 1
A pit bull terrier
- 2
derogatoryA person with a reputation for pugnacity
You don't have to be such a pit bull about it. I was only joking
pitbull
- 1
Shortened form of pit bull terrier
- 2
informalAn aggressive person
My mother was a pitbull
- 3
A NATO brevity code indicating a semi-active radar homing missile has begun active homing, and no longer requires its operator to maintain a radar track
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, pit bull or pitbull?
pit bull is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; pitbull 1.2 times per million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).