pitchfork

Other forms: pitchforks; pitchforked; pitchforking

A pitchfork is a large three-pronged tool used for gardening or farming. If you want to see an image of a pitchfork, just google an image of the famous painting "American Gothic."

With a pitchfork, a farmer can easily scoop beneath a pile of hay or straw, lift it, and toss it into a pile. Most pitchforks have wooden handles and metal prongs, and they've been around since the Middle Ages. Back then, they were sometimes used as a weapon too. The word pitchfork comes from the "toss or throw" meaning of pitch, plus fork, from the Old English forca, "forked instrument or weapon."