Piton etymology pronunciation. They all work in the same basic way. Pitons are available in many shapes and sizes. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. A piton (/ ˈpiːtɒn /; also called pin or peg) in big wall climbing and in aid climbing is a metal spike (usually steel) that is driven into a crack or seam in the climbing surface using a climbing hammer, and which acts as an anchor for protecting the climber from falling or to assist progress in aid climbing. You may find many other obscure shapes and sizes of piton. piton (ˈpiːtɒn; French pitɔ̃) n (Mountaineering) mountaineering a metal spike that may be driven into a crevice of rock or into ice and used to secure a rope [C20: from French: ringbolt] Piton definition: a metal spike with an eye through which a rope may be passed. a short pointed piece of metal used in rock-climbing. . The piton is fixed into the rock and has a rope attached to it through a ring at the other end. com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement. They were developed as an alternative to pitons, which are hammered into cracks and are more prone to damage the rock. Practise placing and removing them on a worthless non-climbable boulder before you weld them into an established aid route. See examples of PITON used in a sentence. Discover everything about the word "PITON" in English: meanings, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one comprehensive guide. Factsheet What does the noun piton mean? There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun piton. Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary. Aug 16, 2025 · piton (third-person singular simple present pitons, present participle pitoning, simple past and past participle pitoned) (climbing) To put pitons into a rock/ice to facilitate climbing. The meaning of PITON is a spike, wedge, or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface as a support (as for a mountain climber). Common types are shown here. A piton (/ ˈpiːtɒn /; also called pin or peg) in big wall climbing and in aid climbing is a metal spike (usually steel) that is driven into a crack or seam in the climbing surface using a climbing hammer, and which acts as an anchor for protecting the climber from falling or to assist progress in aid climbing. With the invention of hard iron pitons, jumars and hammocks, wall climbing exploded in the 1960s and 1970s. riglnn kuqz eeq lpo zmwycb hxkuf nvpvn iiddgp ydfahh ynwp