Added 9 October 2026
bit
/ˈbɪt/ symbol
In Latin: frēnum Wiktionary
symbol Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about bit at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
noun
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A small amount of something.
There were bits of paper all over the floor.
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A piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and connected to the reins to direct the animal.
A horse hates having a bit put in its mouth.
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A rotary cutting tool, fitted to a drill, brace, or router, used to bore or drill holes or to remove material from the profile of the workpiece.
router bit
verb
verb
Origin
From Middle English bitte, bite, from Old English bita (“bit; fragment; morsel”) and bite (“a bite; cut”), from Proto-Germanic *bitô and *bitiz; both from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to split”). More at bite. Cognates Cognate with West Frisian bit, Saterland Frisian Bit, Dutch bit, German Low German Beet, Biet, German Biss and Bissen, Danish bid, Swedish bit, Icelandic biti.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)