Meaning & Definition of Bit in English

1. A small piece or quantity of something

• "A spot of tea"

• "A bit of paper"

• "A bit of lint"

• "I gave him a bit of my mind"

2. A small fragment of something broken off from the whole

• "A bit of rock caught him in the eye"

3. An indefinitely short time

• "Wait just a moment"

• "In a mo"

• "It only takes a minute"

• "In just a bit"

4. An instance of some kind

• "It was a nice piece of work"

• "He had a bit of good luck"

5. Piece of metal held in horse's mouth by reins and used to control the horse while riding

• "The horse was not accustomed to a bit"

6. A unit of measurement of information (from binary + digit)

• The amount of information in a system having two equiprobable states

• "There are 8 bits in a byte"

7. A small amount of solid food

• A mouthful

• "All they had left was a bit of bread"

8. A small fragment

• "Overheard snatches of their conversation"

9. A short theatrical performance that is part of a longer program

• "He did his act three times every evening"

• "She had a catchy little routine"

• "It was one of the best numbers he ever did"

10. The part of a key that enters a lock and lifts the tumblers

11. The cutting part of a drill

• Usually pointed and threaded and is replaceable in a brace or bitstock or drill press

• "He looked around for the right size bit"