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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Bit \Bit\, 3d sing. pr. of {Bid}, for biddeth. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Bit \Bit\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Bitted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bitting}.] To put a bridle upon; to put the bit in the mouth of.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Bit \Bit\, imp. & p. p. of {Bite}.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Bit \Bit\, noun [OE. bite, AS. bita, fr. b[=i]tan to bite; akin to D. beet, G. bissen bit, morsel, Icel. biti. See {Bite}, v., and cf. {Bit} part of a bridle.]
1. A part of anything, such as may be bitten off or taken into the mouth; a morsel; a bite. Hence: A small piece of anything; a little; a mite.
2. Somewhat; something, but not very great.
My young companion was a bit of a poet. --T. Hook.
Note: This word is used, also, like jot and whit, to express the smallest degree; as, he is not a bit wiser.
3. A tool for boring, of various forms and sizes, usually turned by means of a brace or bitstock. See {Bitstock}.
4. The part of a key which enters the lock and acts upon the bolt and tumblers. --Knight.
5. The cutting iron of a plane. --Knight.
6. In the Southern and Southwestern States, a small silver coin (as the real) formerly current; commonly, one worth about 12 1/2 cents; also, the sum of 12 1/2 cents.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Bit \Bit\ (b[i^]t), noun [OE. bitt, bite, AS. bite, bite, fr. b[=i]tan to bite. See {Bite}, noun & v., and cf. {Bit} a morsel.]
1. The part of a bridle, usually of iron, which is inserted in the mouth of a horse, and having appendages to which the reins are fastened. --Shak.
The foamy bridle with the bit of gold. --Chaucer.
2. Fig.: Anything which curbs or restrains.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Bit \Bit\ (Computers) [binary digit.]
1. the smallest unit of information, equivalent to a choice between two alternatives, as yes or no; on or off. [PJC]
2. (Computers) the physical representation of a bit of information in a computer memory or a data storage medium. Within a computer circuit a bit may be represented by the state of a current or an electrical charge; in a magnetic storage medium it may be represented by the direction of magnetization; on a punched card or on paper tape it may be represented by the presence or absence of a hole at a particular point on the card or tape. [PJC]
{Bit my bit}, piecemeal. --Pope.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Bit \Bit\, noun In the British West Indies, a fourpenny piece, or groat. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Bite \Bite\ (b[imac]t), verb (used with an object) [imp. {Bit} (b[i^]t); p. p. {Bitten} (b[i^]t"t'n), {Bit}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Biting}.] [OE. biten, AS. b[=i]tan; akin to D. bijten, OS. b[=i]tan, OHG. b[=i]zan, G. beissen, Goth. beitan, Icel. b[=i]ta, Sw. bita, Dan. bide, L. findere to cleave, Skr. bhid to cleave. [root]87. Cf. {Fissure}.]
1. To seize with the teeth, so that they enter or nip the thing seized; to lacerate, crush, or wound with the teeth; as, to bite an apple; to bite a crust; the dog bit a man.
Such smiling rogues as these, Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwain. --Shak.
2. To puncture, abrade, or sting with an organ (of some insects) used in taking food.
3. To cause sharp pain, or smarting, to; to hurt or injure, in a literal or a figurative sense; as, pepper bites the mouth. ''Frosts do bite the meads.'' --Shak.
4. To cheat; to trick; to take in. [Colloq.] --Pope.
5. To take hold of; to hold fast; to adhere to; as, the anchor bites the ground.
The last screw of the rack having been turned so often that its purchase crumbled, . . . it turned and turned with nothing to bite. --Dickens.
{To bite the dust}, {To bite the ground}, to fall in the agonies of death; as, he made his enemy bite the dust.
{To bite in} (Etching), to corrode or eat into metallic plates by means of an acid.
{To bite the thumb at} (any one), formerly a mark of contempt, designed to provoke a quarrel; to defy. ''Do you bite your thumb at us?'' --Shak.
{To bite the tongue}, to keep silence. --Shak.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
bit
noun
1: a small quantity; "a spot of tea"; "a bit of paper" [syn: {spot}]
2: a small fragment of something broken off from the whole; "a bit of rock caught him in the eye" [syn: {chip}, {flake}, {fleck}, {scrap}]
3: an indefinitely short time; "wait just a moment"; "it only takes a minute"; "in just a bit" [syn: {moment}, {minute}, {second}]
4: an instance of some kind; "it was a nice piece of work"; "he had a bit of good luck" [syn: {piece}]
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" [syn: {morsel}, {bite}]
8: a small fragment; "overheard snatches of their conversation" [syn: {snatch}]
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" [syn: {act}, {routine}, {number}, {turn}]
10: 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" [also: {bitting}, {bitted}]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
bite
noun
1: a wound resulting from biting by an animal or a person
2: a small amount of solid food; a mouthful; "all they had left was a bit of bread" [syn: {morsel}, {bit}]
3: a painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin [syn: {sting}, {insect bite}]
4: a light informal meal [syn: {collation}, {snack}]
5: (angling) an instance of a fish taking the bait; "after fishing for an hour he still had not had a bite"
6: wit having a sharp and caustic quality; "he commented with typical pungency"; "the bite of satire" [syn: {pungency}]
7: a strong odor or taste property; "the pungency of mustard"; "the sulfurous bite of garlic"; "the sharpness of strange spices" [syn: {pungency}, {sharpness}]
8: the act of gripping or chewing off with the teeth and jaws [syn: {chomp}]
9: a portion removed from the whole; "the government's weekly bite from my paycheck"
verb
1: to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws; "Gunny invariably tried to bite her" [syn: {seize with teeth}]
2: cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort; "The sun burned his face" [syn: {sting}, {burn}]
3: penetrate or cut, as with a knife; "The fork bit into the surface"
4: deliver a sting to; "A bee stung my arm yesterday" [syn: {sting}, {prick}] [also: {bitten}, {bit}]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
bit See {bite} [also: {bitting}, {bitted}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
469 Moby Thesaurus words for "bit": ALGOL, COBOL, EDP, FORTRAN, a breath, a continental, a curse, a damn, a darn, a hoot, ace, act, actor, aculeus, acumination, afterpiece, allotment, allowance, alphabetic data, alphanumeric code, anchor watch, angular data, antagonist, antihero, arrest, assembler, atom, auger, back band, backstrap, bagatelle, bauble, bean, bearing rein, bellyband, bibelot, big end, bigger half, binary digit, binary scale, binary system, bit part, bite, blinders, blinds, borer, bowshot, brake, brass farthing, breeching, bridle, brief span, budget, bug, butt, button, byte, caparison, cast, cavesson, cent, chain, channel, character, chaser, check, checkrein, cheekpiece, chinband, chip, chock, chunk, cinch, cipher, clip, clipping, clog, close quarters, close range, collar, collop, command pulses, commands, commission, communication explosion, communication theory, compiler, computer code, computer language, computer program, constrain, contingent, control signals, controlled quantity, correcting signals, countercheck, crack, crownband, crumb, crupper, cue, curb, curb bit, curio, curtain, curtain call, curtain raiser, cusp, cut, cutting, dab, damper, data, data retrieval, data storage, day shift, deal, decoding, destiny, digit, divertimento, divertissement, dividend, dogwatch, dole, dollop, doorstop, dot, drag, drag sail, dram, dribble, driblet, drift anchor, drift sail, drill, drogue, drop, dwarf, earreach, earshot, electronic data processing, encoding, end, entropy, epilogue, equal share, error, error signals, exode, exodus, expository scene, farce, farthing, fat part, fate, feather, feedback pulses, feedback signals, feeder, fetter, fig, figure, film data, finale, fleabite, fleck, flyspeck, folderol, fragment, fribble, frippery, full time, gag swivel, gaud, gewgaw, gimcrack, girth, gob, gobbet, grain, granule, graveyard shift, groat, gunshot, hackamore, hair, hair space, hairbreadth, hairsbreadth, half, half rations, half time, halfpenny, halter, halver, hames, hametugs, handful, harness, headgear, headstall, heavy, helping, hero, heroine, hexadecimal system, hill of beans, hip straps, hoke act, hold back, hold down, hold in, holdback, hunk, inch, information, information explosion, information theory, ingenue, inhibit, input data, input quantity, instant, instructions, interest, interlude, intermezzo, intermission, introduction, iota, jaquima, jerk line, jest, joke, jot, kickshaw, knickknack, knickknackery, lead, lead role, leading lady, leading man, leading woman, lines, little, little bit, little ways, little while, lobster trick, lot, lota, lump, machine language, martingale, measure, meed, mere subsistence, mess, message, minikin, minim, minimum, minutiae, mite, mockery, modicum, moiety, molecule, molehill, moment, morsel, mote, mouthful, mucro, multiple messages, neb, needle, nib, night shift, no time, noise, noseband, notation, number, numeral, numeric data, numero, nutshell, octal system, oscillograph data, ounce, output data, output quantity, overtime, pair of winks, paring, part, part time, particle, pebble, pelham, peppercorn, percentage, person, personage, picayune, piece, pin, pinch, pinch of snuff, pinprick, pistol shot, pittance, play, point, polar data, pole strap, portion, prick, prickle, prologue, proportion, protagonist, punch-card data, quantum, quota, rake-off, random data, rap, rasher, ration, rectangular data, red cent, redundancy, reference quantity, reins, relay, remora, ribbons, role, routine, row of pins, ruly English, rush, saddle, scene, scoop, scotch, scrap, scrimption, scruple, sea anchor, segment, shackle, shaft tug, shard, share, shaving, shift, shit, shiver, short allowance, short commons, short distance, short piece, short spell, short time, short way, shred, shtick, side, side check, sign, signal, signals, single messages, sketch, skit, slice, sliver, small share, small space, smidgen, smitch, smithereen, snack, snaffle, snap, snatch, sneeshing, snip, snippet, song and dance, sou, soubrette, space, span, speck, spell, spitting distance, splinter, split schedule, split shift, spoke, spoonful, spot, spurt, stake, stand-up comedy act, starvation wages, stay, step, sting, stint, stitch, stock, stop, straight part, straw, stretch, striptease, stump, sunrise watch, supporting character, supporting role, surcingle, swing shift, symbol, tack, tackle, tatter, thimbleful, time, tiny bit, tip, title role, tittle, tour, tour of duty, toy, trammel, trappings, trick, trifle, trifling amount, trinket, trivia, triviality, tug, tuppence, turn, turn of work, two cents, two shakes, twopence, unorganized data, villain, visible-speech data, walk-on, walking part, watch, whet, whim-wham, whit, winker braces, withhold, work shift, yoke
From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [jargon]:
bit n. [from the mainstream meaning and 'Binary digIT']
1. [techspeak] The unit of information; the amount of information obtained by asking a yes-or-no question for which the two outcomes are equally probable. 2. [techspeak] A computational quantity that can take on one of two values, such as true and false or 0 and
1. 3. A mental flag: a reminder that something should be done eventually. "I have a bit set for you." (I haven't seen you for a while, and I'm supposed to tell or ask you something.) 4. More generally, a (possibly incorrect) mental state of belief. "I have a bit set that says that you were the last guy to hack on EMACS." (Meaning "I think you were the last guy to hack on EMACS, and what I am about to say is predicated on this, so please stop me if this isn't true.")
"I just need one bit from you" is a polite way of indicating that you intend only a short interruption for a question that can presumably be answered yes or no.
A bit is said to be 'set' if its value is true or 1, and 'reset' or 'clear' if its value is false or 0. One speaks of setting and clearing bits. To {toggle} or 'invert' a bit is to change it, either from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0. See also {flag}, {trit}, {mode bit}.
The term 'bit' first appeared in print in the computer-science sense in a 1948 paper by information theorist Claude Shannon, and was there credited to the early computer scientist John Tukey (who also seems to have coined the term 'software'). Tukey records that 'bit' evolved over a lunch table as a handier alternative to 'bigit' or 'binit', at a conference in the winter of 1943-44.
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:
bit (b) {binary} digit. The unit of information; the amount of information obtained by asking a yes-or-no question; a computational quantity that can take on one of two values, such as false and true or 0 and 1; the smallest unit of storage - sufficient to hold one bit. A bit is said to be "set" if its value is true or 1, and "reset" or "clear" if its value is false or 0. One speaks of setting and clearing bits. To {toggle} or "invert" a bit is to change it, either from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0. The term "bit" first appeared in print in the computer-science sense in 1949, and seems to have been coined by the eminent statistician, {John Tukey}. Tukey records that it evolved over a lunch table as a handier alternative to "bigit" or "binit". See also {flag}, {trit}, {mode bit}, {byte}, {word}. [{Jargon File}] (2002-01-22)
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Bit the curb put into the mouths of horses to restrain them. The Hebrew word (metheg) so rendered in Ps. 32:9 is elsewhere translated "bridle" (2 Kings 19:28; Prov. 26:3; Isa. 37:29). Bits were generally made of bronze or iron, but sometimes also of gold or silver. In James 3:3 the Authorized Version translates the Greek word by "bits," but the Revised Version by "bridles."
From Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms (Version 1.9, June 2002) [vera]:
BIT Basic Interconnection Test (ISO 9646-1)
From Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms (Version 1.9, June 2002) [vera]:
BIT Binary digIT
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