bit

Meanings

• a small piece or quantity of something
  • "a bit of paper"
  • "a bit of lint"
  • "I gave him a bit of my mind"
• a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
  • "a bit of rock caught him in the eye"
• an indefinitely short time
  • "in just a bit"
• an instance of some kind
  • "he had a bit of good luck"
• 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"
• 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"
• a small amount of solid food; a mouthful
  • "all they had left was a bit of bread"
• a small fragment
• a short theatrical performance that is part of a longer program
• the part of a key that enters a lock and lifts the tumblers
• 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"
• to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws
  • "Gunny invariably tried to bite her"
• cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort
• penetrate or cut, as with a knife
  • "The fork bit into the surface"
• deliver a sting to

Synonyms

act, bite, burn, chip, flake, fleck, minute, mo, moment, morsel, number, piece, prick, routine, scrap, second, seize with teeth, snatch, spot, sting, turn