bit
bit
I
/bıt/ noun , pl bits
1 [ count ] : a small piece of something
Put all the broken bits back together.
— often + of
He ate every last/single bit of the food. [=he ate all of the food]
He ate only a couple of tiny little bits of bread and cheese and drank a drop or two of wine.
We need to get all the bits of dirt out of the carpet.
There were broken bits of glass all over the floor.
see also
2 [ count ]
2 a chiefly Brit : a part of something (such as a book, play, etc.)
There are some good bits [=parts] near the end of the story: one is the bit where the hero and the heroine are nearly separated.
2 b chiefly US : a brief comic performance or joke
The comedian did a funny bit about taking his daughter to the dentist.
a corny comedy bit
2 c : a very short performance in a movie, play, etc.
— usually used before another noun
a bit part/role
bit players
3 [ singular ] informal : all the things that are connected to an activity, a process, etc.
He says he's tired of his job, tired of driving to work every day, the whole bit. [=everything]
4 [ count ] Brit : an old coin with a specified small value
a threepenny bit
— see also two bits
a bit
1 : a little : somewhat or rather
I let it bother me a bit. [=slightly]
His house is down the street a bit further.
There's a bit too much sugar in the dessert, which makes it a bit too sweet.
I'm feeling a bit better today.
It's a bit like driving a car.
This one is a bit bigger than that one.
At first, I was a bit confused.
2 : a small amount or quantity : a little of something
They don't understand much–but they do understand a bit.
They saved money a bit at a time.
“How much cake is left?” “Only a (very little) bit.”
“How old is your daughter?” “She's two and a bit.” [=she's slightly older than two]
— often + of
They understand only a bit of [=a little of] what is going on.
There's a bit of both brown sugar and molasses in these cookies.
The job may cause you a bit of trouble.
His mind's already made up. It won't do you a bit of good to argue. [=it won't do you any good to argue]
3 a : a short period of time : a while
Let's wait a (little/wee) bit longer.
Repairs will begin in a bit more than a month.
He left but came back after a bit. [=he came back soon]
3 b : for a short period of time
Please stay here with me a bit.
a bit much
informal
— used to describe a person or thing that is regarded as annoying, excessive, or unfair
My mother thinks he's funny, but I find him a bit much.
I find his constant joking a bit much.
It was a bit much to expect us to wait that long.
The hot weather is getting to be a bit much.
a bit of a/an
chiefly Brit
— used to make a statement or description less forceful or definite
I had a bit of a shock when I saw him. [=I was somewhat shocked when I saw him]
He's a bit of a rascal. [=he's something of a rascal]
We had a bit of a laugh about it afterwards.
a bit of all right
Brit informal : someone or something very pleasing; especially : a sexually attractive person
His girlfriend's a bit of all right.
a little bit — see little, 3
bit by bit
: by small steps or amounts : gradually
The situation improved bit by bit. [=little by little]
I got to know them bit by bit.
bits and pieces
1 : small pieces
There were broken bits and pieces of glass all over the floor.
I finished the project in bits and pieces [=a little at a time] during my spare time.
2 or Brit bits and bobs : things or objects of different kinds
There are just a few bits and pieces of furniture in the office.
No one knows exactly what happened. All we have is a few bits and pieces [=odds and ends] of information so far.
do your bit
chiefly Brit : to do your share of a job or task
We all have to do our bit [=do our part] to help out.
every bit
: in every way
The end of the movie was every bit [=just] as good as the beginning.
This new project seems every bit as ambitious as the first one.
He is every bit the high-powered businessman.
You are every bit as deserving as she is.
not a/one bit (
: not at all
It didn't interest me a bit. = It didn't interest me one (single/little) bit.
I'm not a bit interested in this movie. = I'm not the least bit interested in this movie.
That joke was not a/one bit funny. [=was not funny at all]
We weren't a bit tired. [=we weren't tired at all]
not a bit of it
Brit informal
— used to say that something expected or possible did not happen or is not true
Am I tired? Not a bit of it. [=I am not tired at all]
I thought she'd be angry, but not a bit of it. [=she wasn't angry at all]
quite a bit (
: a fairly large amount : a lot
He knows quite a bit [=quite a lot] more about it than I do.
The wait was quite a bit [=considerably] longer than I thought it would be.
She lost the race by quite a bit.
We've been seeing quite a bit of each other lately. [=we've been spending a lot of time together lately]
She'd already finished a good bit of the work before I returned.
There's still a fair bit (of the cake) left.
take a bit of doing — see doing
to bits
1 : to pieces : apart
The ball hit the window and smashed it to bits.
The bridge was blown to bits by the explosion.
(chiefly Brit) The pie was falling to bits [=falling apart] as I tried to serve it.
2 informal : to a very great degree
She was thrilled to bits. [=she was very thrilled]
— compare bit, 2, bit, 3
————————
II
noun , pl bits [ count ]
1 : the part of a tool (such as a drill) that is used for cutting, drilling, etc.
2 : a piece of metal that is put in the mouth of a horse and that is part of the device (called a bridle) that is used to control the horse
champing/chomping at the bit
: waiting in an impatient way to do something
We've all been champing at the bit to get started on the project.
get/take the bit between your teeth
: to start doing something in a very enthusiastic and determined way
He can be lazy about doing his work, but when he gets the bit between his teeth there's no stopping him.
— compare bit, 1, bit, 3
————————
III
noun , pl bits [ count ]
computers : a single unit of computer information that is represented as either 1 or 0 — compare byte, — see also megabit
— compare bit, 1, bit, 2
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IV
past tense of bite, 1
