Pitfall

Pronunciation

• UK enPR: pÄ­tʹfôl, IPA: /ˈpɪʔfɔːl/
• US enPR: pÄ­tʹfäl, IPA: /ˈpɪʔfÉ‘l/

Origin

pit + fall

Noun

1. a potential problem, hazard, or danger that is easily encountered but not immediately obvious.It's usually a simple task, but you should know the pitfalls before you attempt it yourself.
2. A type of trap consisting of a concealed hole in the ground: victims fall into the hole and are unable to escape
3. (computing) An anti-pattern.

Synonyms

• potential problem, hazard, or danger: trap
• computing: anti-pattern: anti-pattern, dark pattern

Derived terms

• pitfalled