: a spike, wedge, or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface as a support (as for a mountain climber)

Examples of piton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the catalogue, Yvon Chouinard took his industry to task for the environmental damage of rock climbing and copped to his own culpability, as a purveyor of steel pitons. Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024 Climbing tools — ice axes, crampons, ice screws, pitons and so on — are stronger and lighter than ever. John Branch, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of piton was in 1898

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Piton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piton. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

: a spike or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface for support (as for a mountain climber)
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