WordGarden.iopiste
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /pˈɪst/
US
Meanings
Noun
a marked ski run or trail
the narrow strip where a fencing bout takes place
Beyond the definition
Imagine gliding down a snowy mountain. The piste is the marked, prepared run you are skiing or snowboarding on. In modern English, this is the main use of the word. If someone says "the piste is closed," they mean that ski run is not open or not safe to use. The word can also mean a track or a narrow strip used for sport, especially in fencing, but most people will meet it first at a ski resort.
The word piste comes from French, where it meant a track or path. In English, though, it is now used mainly in sports, especially skiing. Picture a snowy mountain with clear, groomed runs cut across it. Each of those marked runs can be called a piste. Resorts maintain them and mark them by difficulty, so a beginner might stay on an easy run while an expert chooses a steeper one.
This is why you may hear someone say, "Let's hit the pistes," when they are heading out to ski. It also appears in the phrase "off-piste," which means skiing away from the marked runs, often on ungroomed snow. That use is common and helps show the contrast: on the piste means on the prepared run, while off-piste means outside it.
Beyond snow sports, the word also has a clear meaning in fencing. The piste is the long, narrow strip where the fencers compete. In that sense, the word still carries its older idea of a track or set path.
So whether you are talking about a ski run on a mountain or the strip used in fencing, piste suggests a marked route made for a particular activity.
Examples
- 1
Skiing
We spent the morning on an easy piste near the hotel.
- 2
Beginner skiing
The children started on a blue piste before trying anything steeper.
- 3
Resort conditions
Heavy snow closed the upper pistes for the afternoon.
- 4
Marked runs
She is confident on the piste, but she never skis off-piste alone.
- Phraseoff-piste
away from marked ski runs
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Meeting topic
The meeting went off-piste when someone started talking about next year's budget.
- Phrasego off-piste
move away from the planned topic or activity
- 6
Fencing
The fencers stepped back onto the piste after the referee's warning.
See also
Similar
- ski run
- ski slope
- trail
Shades of meaning
- groomed run
- nursery slope
Contrast
- off-piste
- backcountry
Used with (collocations)
- red piste
- black piste
- on the piste
Explore
- ski resort
- moguls
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- pistenoun