Deep holes in the ground; the hard seed of a fruit; or the worst or lowest parts of something.
From Old English 'pytt,' related to Old Norse 'pyttr,' possibly from Latin 'puteus' (well or pit). The word has multiple distinct meanings that evolved separately.
The phrase 'the pits' meaning 'the worst' is interesting—it comes from cockfighting terminology where the pit was where birds fought, making it a place of suffering, which is why it became slang for anything terrible or depressing!
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