bit

[ bit ]

/ bɪt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bit ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Machinery.

a removable drilling or boring tool for use in a brace, drill press, or the like.
a removable boring head used on certain kinds of drills, as a rock drill.
a device for drilling oil wells or the like, consisting of a horizontally rotating blade or an assembly of rotating toothed wheels.

the mouthpiece of a bridle, having fittings at each end to which the reins are fastened.

anything that curbs or restrains.

the blade or iron of a carpenter's plane.

the cutting part of an ax or hatchet.

the wide portion at the end of an ordinary key that moves the bolt.

verb (used with object), bit·ted, bit·ting.

to put a bit in the mouth of (a horse).

to curb or restrain with, or as with, a bit.

to grind a bit on (a key).

Idioms for bit

take the bit in/between one's teeth, to cast off control; willfully go one's own way: He took the bit in his teeth and acted against his parents' wishes.

Origin of bit

before 900; Middle English bite, Old English: action of biting; cognate with German Biss, Old Norse bit. See bite

OTHER WORDS FROM bit

bit·less, adjective

Words nearby bit

bisulphate, bisulphide, bisulphite, bisutun, bisymmetric, bit, bit between one's teeth, bit by bit, bit gauge, bit key, bit part

Definition for bit (2 of 6)

bit ²

[ bit ]

/ bɪt /

noun

a small piece or quantity of anything: a bit of string.

a short time: Wait a bit.

Informal. an amount equivalent to 12½ U.S. cents (used only in even multiples): two bits; six bits.

an act, performance, or routine: She's doing the Camille bit, pretending to be near collapse.

a stereotypic or habitual set of behaviors, attitudes, or styles associated with an individual, role, situation, etc.: the whole Wall Street bit.

Also called bit part. a very small role, as in a play or motion picture, containing few or no lines. Compare walk-on(def 1).

any small coin: a threepenny bit.

a Spanish or Mexican silver real worth 12½ cents, formerly current in parts of the U.S.

Origin of bit

before 1000; Middle English bite, Old English bita bit, morsel; cognate with German Bissen, Old Norse biti. See bite

SYNONYMS FOR bit

1 particle, speck, grain, mite; whit, iota, jot; scrap, fragment.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bit ON THESAURUS.COM

Definition for bit (3 of 6)

bit ³

[ bit ]

/ bɪt /

noun Computers.

Also called binary digit. a single, basic unit of information, used in connection with computers and information theory.

baud.

Origin of bit

First recorded in 1945–50; b(inary) + (dig)it

Definition for bit (4 of 6)

bit ⁴

[ bit ]

/ bɪt /

verb

simple past tense and a past participle of bite.

Definition for bit (5 of 6)

bite

[ bahyt ]

/ baɪt /

verb (used with object), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

to cut, wound, or tear with the teeth: She bit the apple greedily. The lion bit his trainer.

to grip or hold with the teeth: Stop biting your lip!

to sting, as does an insect.

to cause to smart or sting: an icy wind that bit our faces.

to sever with the teeth (often followed by off): Don't bite your nails. The child bit off a large piece of the candy bar.

to start to eat (often followed by into): She bit into her steak.

to clamp the teeth firmly on or around (often followed by on): He bit hard on the stick while they removed the bullet from his leg.

Informal.

to take advantage of; cheat; deceive: I got bitten in a mail-order swindle.
to annoy or upset; anger: What's biting you, sorehead?

to eat into or corrode, as does an acid.

to cut or pierce with, or as with, a weapon: The sword split his helmet and bit him fatally.

Etching. to etch with acid (a copper or other surface) in such parts as are left bare of a protective coating.

to take firm hold or act effectively on: We need a clamp to bite the wood while the glue dries.

Archaic. to make a decided impression on; affect.

verb (used without object), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

to press the teeth into something; attack with the jaws, bill, sting, etc.; snap: Does your parrot bite?

Angling. (of fish) to take bait: The fish aren't biting today.

to accept an offer or suggestion, especially one intended to trick or deceive: I knew it was a mistake, but I bit anyway.

Informal. to admit defeat in guessing: I'll bite, who is it?

to act effectively; grip; hold: This wood is so dry the screws don't bite.

Slang. to be notably repellent, disappointing, poor, etc.; suck.

noun

an act of biting.

a wound made by biting: a deep bite.

a cutting, stinging, or nipping effect: the bite of an icy wind; the bite of whiskey on the tongue.

a piece bitten off: Chew each bite carefully.

a small meal: Let's have a bite before the theater.

a portion severed from the whole: the government's weekly bite of my paycheck.

a morsel of food: not a bite to eat.

the occlusion of one's teeth: The dentist said I had a good bite.

Machinery.

the catch or hold that one object or one part of a mechanical apparatus has on another.
a surface brought into contact to obtain a hold or grip, as in a lathe chuck or similar device.
the amount of material that a mechanical shovel or the like can carry at one time.

sharpness; incisiveness; effectiveness: The bite of his story is spoiled by his slovenly style.

the roughness of the surface of a file.

Metalworking. the maximum angle, measured from the center of a roll in a rolling mill, between a perpendicular and a line to the point of contact where a given object to be rolled will enter between the rolls.

Origin of bite

before 1000; Middle English biten, Old English bītan; cognate with Old High German bīzan (German beissen), Gothic beitan, Old Norse bīta; akin to Latin findere to split

SYNONYMS FOR bite

1 gnaw, chew, nip.

22 mouthful, morsel, taste; scrap, crumb, dab.

23 snack, nosh.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bite ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM bite

bit·a·ble, bite·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bite

bight bite byte

Definition for bit (6 of 6)

B.I.T.

Bachelor of Industrial Technology.

Example sentences from the Web for bit

In a bit of foreshadowing, he repeated that opinion in November.

Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails |Jackie Kucinich |January 9, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Even the hot Jewish women I mentioned above did something a bit more “intellectual” than pageantry: acting.

Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America? |Emily Shire |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
His peers remember him as a bright man who spoke softly and occasionally came across as a bit shy.

Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder |Jason McGahan |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
She narrowed her eyes, bit her lip as if to chew over the question, and whisked some stray blond hairs away from her face.

Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’ |Asawin Suebsaeng |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST

It reminded me a bit of an alternative take on The Wolf of Wall Street—through the Toni and Candace lens.

Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness |Marlow Stern |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Never could he look to the old gentleman for a friendly word, or a bit of help over a hard financial place again.

The Corner House Girls Growing Up |Grace Brooks Hill
For the first time in days Ryanne's laughter had a bit of the erstwhile rollicking tone.

The Carpet from Bagdad |Harold MacGrath
She thought Alice a bit of a sneak, an opinion her brothers shared, and Gwen rather a snatch at meals.

Ann Veronica |H. G. Wells
She tried again now, bemused, and once more gave it up, although somehow this time she did feel a bit nearer success.

The Trial of Callista Blake |Edgar Pangborn
"I reckon that I've been a bit thick-haided," he said simply.

The Song of the Wolf |Frank Mayer

British Dictionary definitions for bit (1 of 5)

bit ¹

/ (bɪt) /

noun

a small piece, portion, or quantity

a short time or distance

US and Canadian informal the value of an eighth of a dollar: spoken of only in units of two two bits

any small coin

short for bit part

informal way of behaving, esp one intended to create a particular impression she's doing the prima donna bit

a bit rather; somewhat a bit dreary

a bit of

rathera bit of a dope
a considerable amountthat must take quite a bit of courage

a bit of all right, a bit of crumpet, a bit of stuff or a bit of tail British slang a sexually attractive woman

bit by bit gradually

bit on the side informal an extramarital affair

do one's bit to make one's expected contribution

every bit (foll by as) to the same degree she was every bit as clever as her brother

not a bit or not a bit of it not in the slightest; not at all

to bits completely apart to fall to bits

Word Origin for bit

Old English bite action of biting; see bite

British Dictionary definitions for bit (2 of 5)

bit ²

/ (bɪt) /

noun

a metal mouthpiece, for controlling a horse on a bridle

anything that restrains or curbs

take the bit in one's teeth, take the bit between one's teeth, have the bit in one's teeth or have the bit between one's teeth

to undertake a task with determination
to rebel against control

a cutting or drilling tool, part, or head in a brace, drill, etc

the blade of a woodworking plane

the part of a pair of pincers designed to grasp an object

the copper end of a soldering iron

the part of a key that engages the levers of a lock

verb bits, bitting or bitted (tr)

to put a bit in the mouth of (a horse)

to restrain; curb

Word Origin for bit

Old English bita; related to Old English bītan to bite

British Dictionary definitions for bit (3 of 5)

bit ³

/ (bɪt) /

verb

the past tense and (archaic) past participle of bite

British Dictionary definitions for bit (4 of 5)

bit ⁴

/ (bɪt) /

noun maths computing

a single digit of binary notation, represented either by 0 or by 1

the smallest unit of information, indicating the presence or absence of a single feature

a unit of capacity of a computer, consisting of an element of its physical structure capable of being in either of two states, such as a switch with on and off positions, or a microscopic magnet capable of alignment in two directions

Word Origin for bit

C20: from abbreviation of binary digit

British Dictionary definitions for bit (5 of 5)

bite

/ (baɪt) /

verb bites, biting, bit or bitten

to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws

(of animals, insects, etc) to injure by puncturing or tearing (the skin or flesh) with the teeth, fangs, etc, esp as a natural characteristic

(tr) to cut or penetrate, as with a knife

(of corrosive material such as acid) to eat away or into

to smart or cause to smart; sting mustard bites the tongue

(intr) angling (of a fish) to take or attempt to take the bait or lure

to take firm hold of or act effectively upon

to grip or hold (a workpiece) with a tool or chuck

(of a screw, thread, etc) to cut into or grip (an object, material, etc)

(tr) informal to annoy or worry what's biting her?

(often passive) slang to cheat

(tr often foll by for) Australian and NZ slang to ask (for); scrounge from

bite off more than one can chew informal to attempt a task beyond one's capability

bite the bullet to face up to (pain, trouble, etc) with fortitude; be stoical

bite someone's head off to respond harshly and rudely (to)

bite the dust See dust (def. 11)

bite the hand that feeds one to repay kindness with injury or ingratitude

once bitten, twice shy after an unpleasant experience one is cautious in similar situations

put the bite on someone Australian slang to ask someone for money

noun

the act of biting

a thing or amount bitten off

a wound, bruise, or sting inflicted by biting

angling an attempt by a fish to take the bait or lure

informal an incisive or penetrating effect or quality that's a question with a bite

a light meal; snack

a cutting, stinging, or smarting sensation

the depth of cut of a machine tool

the grip or hold applied by a tool or chuck to a workpiece

dentistry the angle or manner of contact between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed naturally

the surface of a file or rasp with cutting teeth

the corrosive action of acid, as on a metal etching plate

Derived forms of bite

biter, noun

Word Origin for bite

Old English bītan; related to Latin findere to split, Sanskrit bhedati he splits

Medical definitions for bit

bite

[ bīt ]

v.

To cut, grip, or tear with the teeth.

To pierce the skin of with the teeth, fangs, or mouthparts.

n.

The act of biting.

A puncture or laceration of the skin by the teeth of an animal or the mouthparts of an insect or similar organism.

Scientific definitions for bit

bit

[ bĭt ]

The smallest unit of computer memory. A bit holds one of two possible values, either of the binary digits 0 or 1. The term comes from the phrase binary digit. See Note at byte.

Cultural definitions for bit

bit

The smallest unit of information. One bit corresponds to a “yes” or “no.” Some examples of a bit of information: whether a light is on or off, whether a switch (like a transistor) is on or off, whether a grain of magnetized iron points up or down.

notes for bit

The information in a digital computer is stored in the form of bits.

Idioms and Phrases with bit (1 of 2)

bit

In addition to the idiom beginning with bit

bit by bit
bite off more than one can chew
bite one's nails
bite one's tongue
bite someone's head off
bite the bullet
bite the dust
bite the hand that feeds you

also see:

a bit
champ at the bit
do one's bit
every bit
not a bit
quite a bit
take the bit in one's mouth
two bits

Idioms and Phrases with bit (2 of 2)

bite

In addition to the idioms beginning with bite

bite off more than one can chew
bite one's nails
bite one's tongue
bite someone's head off
bite the bullet
bite the dust
bite the hand that feeds you

also see:

bark is worse than one's bite
put the bite on
sound bite

Also seebitten.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

bit

noun

verb (used with object), bit·ted, bit·ting.

Idioms for bit

Origin of bit

OTHER WORDS FROM bit

Words nearby bit

Definition for bit (2 of 6)

noun

Origin of bit

SYNONYMS FOR bit

Definition for bit (3 of 6)

noun Computers.

Origin of bit

Definition for bit (4 of 6)

verb

Definition for bit (5 of 6)

verb (used with object), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

verb (used without object), bit, bit·ten or bit, bit·ing.

noun

Origin of bite

SYNONYMS FOR bite

OTHER WORDS FROM bite

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bite

Definition for bit (6 of 6)

Words related to bit

Example sentences from the Web for bit

British Dictionary definitions for bit (1 of 5)

noun

Word Origin for bit

British Dictionary definitions for bit (2 of 5)

noun

verb bits, bitting or bitted (tr)

Word Origin for bit

British Dictionary definitions for bit (3 of 5)

verb

British Dictionary definitions for bit (4 of 5)

noun maths computing

Word Origin for bit

British Dictionary definitions for bit (5 of 5)

verb bites, biting, bit or bitten

noun

Derived forms of bite

Word Origin for bite

Medical definitions for bit

v.

n.

Scientific definitions for bit

Cultural definitions for bit

notes for bit

Idioms and Phrases with bit (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with bit (2 of 2)