Bit Definition

bĭt

bits, bitted, bitting

noun

bits

A small portion, degree, or amount.

A bit of lint; a bit of luck.

American Heritage

The part of a bridle that goes into a horse's mouth, used to control the horse.

Webster's New World

A brief amount of time; a moment.

Wait a bit.

American Heritage

Anything that curbs or controls.

Webster's New World

A short scene or episode in a theatrical performance.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
story
squib
paragraph
piece
item
routine
auger
drift
rock drill
skin of one's nose
skin of one's teeth
eyelash
hair
wink
whisker

Antonyms:

verb

bits, bitted, bitting

To place a bit in the mouth of (a horse, for example).

American Heritage

To put a bit into the mouth of (a horse)

Webster's New World

To check or control with or as if with a bit.

American Heritage

To train to the bit.

Webster's New World

To make or grind a bit on (a key).

American Heritage

Synonyms:

adjective

Very small.

A bit role.

Webster's New World

(colloquial) Bitten.

Even though he's bit, of course the zombies would still chase him.

Wiktionary

(only in combination) Having been bitten.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
fortran

adverb

To a small extent; in a small amount (usually with "a").

That's a bit too sweet.

Wiktionary

idiom

a bit

To a small degree; somewhat:
a bit warm.

American Heritage

bit by bit

Little by little; gradually.

American Heritage

do (one's) bit

To do one's part or contribute one's share.

American Heritage

have

To be uncontrollable; cast off restraint.

American Heritage

take the bit in one's teeth

to clench the bit between the teeth, so that it fails to restrain
to be beyond control

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Bit

Noun

Singular:

bit

Plural:

bits

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Bit

Origin of Bit

Coined by John Tukey in 1946 as an abbreviation of binary digit, probably influenced by connotations of “small portion”. First used in print 1948 by Claude Shannon. Compare byte and nybble.

From Wiktionary
From Old English bita and bite - all from Proto-Germanic *bitô, from Proto-Indo-European *bheid- (“to split”).

From Wiktionary
Middle English bite morsel from Old English bita bheid- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Middle English bite from Old English act of biting bheid- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From b(inary dig)it

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
See bite

From Wiktionary