Collins English-English Dictionary

bit [bɪt]

1. 1. n a small piece, portion, or quantity

2. 2. n a short time or distance

3. 3. n [US and Canadian] [informal] the value of an eighth of a dollar: spoken of only in units of two

   two bits

4. 4. n any small coin

5. 5. n short for bit part

6. 6. n [informal] way of behaving, esp one intended to create a particular impression

   she's doing the prima donna bit

7. 7. n [Etymology] Old English bite action of biting; see bite

bit [bɪt]

1. 1. n a metal mouthpiece, for controlling a horse on a bridle

2. 2. n anything that restrains or curbs

3. 3. n a cutting or drilling tool, part, or head in a brace, drill, etc

4. 4. n the blade of a woodworking plane

5. 5. n the part of a pair of pincers designed to grasp an object

6. 6. n the copper end of a soldering iron

7. 7. n the part of a key that engages the levers of a lock

8. 8. vt. [tr] to put a bit in the mouth of (a horse)

9. 9. vt. to restrain; curb

10. 10. vt. [Etymology] Old English bita; related to Old English bitan to bite

bit [bɪt]

1. 1. vb the past tense and (archaic) past participle of bite

bit [bɪt]

1. 1. n [maths] [computing] a single digit of binary notation, represented either by 0 or by 1

2. 2. n the smallest unit of information, indicating the presence or absence of a single feature

3. 3. n a unit of capacity of a computer, consisting of an element of its physical structure capable of being in either of two states, such as a switch with on and off positions, or a microscopic magnet capable of alignment in two directions

4. 4. n [Etymology] C20: from abbreviation of binary digit