a farm tool with a long handle and two sharp metal prongs, used especially for lifting hay 干草叉
verb
[with obj. and adverbial of direction]lift with a pitchfork (用干草叉)叉起 ■(figurative)thrust (someone) suddenly into an unexpected and difficult situation (喻)(突然)把…推入(未预料到的、困难的处境中)
语源
late Middle English: from earlier pickfork, influenced by the verb pitch (because the tool is used for ‘pitching’ or throwing sheaves on to a stack)