bit
Pronunciation: (bit), [key]
— n., v., bit•ted, bit•ting.
—n.
-
- a removable drilling or boring tool for use in a brace, drill press, or the like.
- a removable boring head used on certain kinds of drills, as a rock drill.
- a device for drilling oil wells or the like, consisting of a horizontally rotating blade or an assembly of rotating toothed wheels.
- the mouthpiece of a bridle, having fittings at each end to which the reins are fastened. See illus. under
- anything that curbs or restrains.
- the blade or iron of a carpenter's plane.
- the cutting part of an ax or hatchet.
- the wide portion at the end of an ordinary key that moves the bolt.
- to cast off control; willfully go one's own way: He took the bit in his teeth and acted against his parents' wishes.
—v.t.
- to put a bit in the mouth of (a horse).
- to curb or restrain with, or as with, a bit.
- to grind a bit on (a key).
bit
Pronunciation: (bit), [key]
— n.
- a small piece or quantity of anything: a bit of string.
- a short time: Wait a bit.
- an amount equivalent to 12 U.S. cents (used only in even multiples): two bits; six bits.
- an act, performance, or routine: She's doing the Camille bit, pretending to be near collapse.
- a stereotypic or habitual set of behaviors, attitudes, or styles associated with an individual, role, situation, etc.: the whole Wall Street bit.
- Also calleda very small role, as in a play or motion picture, containing few or no lines. Cf. walk-on (def. 1).
- any small coin: a threepenny bit.
- a Spanish or Mexican silver real worth 12 cents, formerly current in parts of the U.S.
- rather or somewhat; a little: a bit sleepy.
- somewhat overdone or beyond tolerability.
- by degrees; gradually: Having saved money bit by bit, they now had enough to buy the land.
- to contribute one's share to an effort: They all did their bit during the war.
- quite; just: every bit as good.
bit
Pronunciation: (bit), [key]
— n. Computers.
- Also calleda single, basic unit of information, used in connection with computers and information theory.
- baud.
bit
Pronunciation: (bit), [key]
— v.
- pt. and a pp. of
B.I.T.
- Bachelor of Industrial Technology.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.