pitting

pitting [′pid·iŋ]

(medicine)

The formation of pits; in the fingernails, a consequence and sign of psoriasis.

The preservation for a short time of indentations on the skin made by pressing with the finger; seen in pitting edema.

(metallurgy)

Selective localized formation of rounded cavities in a metal surface due to corrosion or to nonuniform electroplating.

(mining engineering)

The act of digging or sinking a pit.

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popping, blowing, pitting, pops

Shallow conical depressions, ranging in size from pinheads to diameters of ¼ in. (64 mm), just below the surface of a lime-putty finish coat; caused by the expansion of coarse particles of unhydrated lime or of foreign substances.

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pitting

1. The development of small cavities in a surface, owing to phenomena such as corrosion, cavitation, or (as in concrete) localized dis-integration.

2. In plastering, See popping.

3. The development of localized surface defects on a metal surface, e.g., small depressions, usually caused by electrochemical corrosion.

4. The localized corrosion in the form of cavities which takes place on the surface of a metal.