Meanings
verbpitchpole (third-person singular simple present pitchpoles, present participle pitchpoling, simple past and past participle pitchpoled)
present singular third person pitchpoles · participle present pitchpoling · participle past pitchpoled · past pitchpoled
- To capsize end over end, as in heavy surf.
Pitchpoling is the most dangerous way a boat can capsize.
2 more examples
Pitchpoling occurs when the bow buries itself in the wave ahead while the wave behind lifts the aft section up and over.
The advanced design of new cats makes pitchpoling less likely.
1977 February, Ben Kocivar, “How to get started in hot-rod sailing”, in Popular Science, volume 210, number 2, page 111
Origin
Translations
Finnish mennä keulan kautta ympäri
- mennä keulan kautta ympäricapsize end over end
French sancir
- sancircapsize end over end
German überschlagen, sich überschlagen
- überschlagencapsize end over end
- sich überschlagencapsize end over end
Cite this entry
APA
pitchpole. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pitchpole
MLA
“pitchpole.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pitchpole. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pitchpole,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pitchpole.
Source: pitchpole on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.