Nit

/nɪt/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A nit is an egg or young form of a louse or other parasitic insect.

The school nurse inspected the children's hair for nits and lice.

A small or insignificant detail; a trivial matter.

Don't worry about the nits in the report; we can focus on the main points instead.

Old English 'hnitu', related to German 'niete' referring to a louse.

nitpicking

To look for small or unimportant errors or faults.

to pick nits

To find trivial faults in something.

lice

Parasitic insects that infest the hair and skin of humans.

nits

Plural of nit, meaning multiple eggs of lice.

parasite

An organism that lives in or on another organism and benefits at the host's expense.

Nitwit - a foolish or stupid person.

Don't be a nitwit, just follow the instructions.

Nitpicking - excessively concerned with trivial details.

Stop nitpicking and just approve the proposal.