Firepit

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An outdoor structure designed to contain a controlled fire for warmth, cooking, or social gatherings
2. A constructed basin or enclosure outside to safely hold and manage a fire used for heat or entertainment
3. A specially made outdoor fire area meant for safely burning wood or charcoal in a contained space

Etymology: "Firepit" is a plain compound: "fire" joined to "pit," a hollow dug or formed in the ground. The combination describes exactly what the word names, a hole or basin that contains a fire. Both parts are old English words, so the term needs no special history to explain it, and its meaning has stayed close to its literal sense. The "pit" element is the more interesting half. In English it has long meant a depression in the earth, and the modern garden sense of a sunken fire space follows naturally from that. Pairing it with "fire" gives a word that is transparent to any speaker, which is much of why it spread so easily into everyday use for backyards, campsites and outdoor living spaces.

Synonyms: fireplace, campfire, bonfire, hearth, fire bowl