1. A small portion, degree, or amount: a bit of lint; a bit of luck.
2. A brief amount of time; a moment: wait a bit.
3. A short scene or episode in a theatrical performance.
4. A bit part.
5. an entertainment routine given regularly by a performer; an act.
6. informal A particular kind of action, situation, or behavior: got tired of the macho bit.
7. informal A matter being considered: what's this bit about inflation?
8. informal an amount equal to one eighth of a dollar: two bits.
9. chiefly british A small coin: a threepenny bit.
10. a bit to a small degree; somewhat: a bit warm.
11. bit by bit little by little; gradually.
12. do (one's) bit to do one's part or contribute one's share.
13. the sharp part of a tool, such as the cutting edge of a knife or ax.
14. A pointed and threaded tool for drilling and boring that is secured in a brace, bitstock, or drill press.
15. the part of a key that enters the lock and engages the bolt and tumblers.
16. the tip of the mouthpiece on a pipe or a cigarette or cigar holder.
17. the metal mouthpiece of a bridle, serving to control, curb, and direct an animal.
18. something that controls, guides, or curbs.
19. to place a bit in the mouth of (a horse, for example).
20. to check or control with or as if with a bit.
21. to make or grind a bit on (a key).
22. have to be uncontrollable; cast off restraint.
23. computer science A fundamental unit of information having just two possible values, as either of the binary digits 0 or 1.
24. past tense and a past participle of bite.

1. simple past of bite.
2. (uk, archaic) past participle of bite
3. this sense?) (colloquial) bitten.
4. having been bitten.
5. A piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and connected to reins to direct the animal.
6. A rotary cutting tool fitted to a drill, used to make holes.
7. an eighth of a dollar. note that there is no coin minted worth 12.5 cents. (when this term first came into use, the spanish 8 reales coin was widely used as a dollar equivalent, and thus the 1 real coin was equivalent to 12.5 cents.)
8. A coin of a specified value. (also used for a nine-pence coin in the british caribbean.)
9. A small amount of something.
10. specifically, a small amount of time.
11. : A portion of something.
12. A prison sentence, especially a short one.
13. an excerpt of material from a composition or show.
14. to a small extent; in a small amount (usually with "a").
15. A binary digit, generally represented as a 1 or 0.
16. the smallest unit of storage in a digital computer, consisting of a binary digit.
17. any datum that may take on one of exactly two values.
18. A unit of measure for information entropy.

1. imp. & p. p. of bite.
2. the smallest unit of information, equivalent to a choice between two alternatives, as yes or no; on or off.
3. 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.
4. 3d sing. pr. of bid, for biddeth.
5. 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.
6. fig.: anything which curbs or restrains.
7. in the british west indies, a fourpenny piece, or groat.
8. 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.
9. somewhat; something, but not very great.
10. A tool for boring, of various forms and sizes, usually turned by means of a brace or bitstock. see bitstock.
11. the part of a key which enters the lock and acts upon the bolt and tumblers.
12. the cutting iron of a plane.
13. 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.
14. to put a bridle upon; to put the bit in the mouth of.

1. to put a bridle upon; put the bit in the mouth of (a horse); accustom to the bit; hence, to curb; restrain.
2. the act of biting; a bite.
3. the action of biting food; eating; grazing.
4. the biting, cutting, or penetrating action of an edged weapon or tool.
5. the biting, catching, holding, cutting, or boring part of a tool.
6. A boring-tool used in a carpenter's brace.
7. the metal part of a bridle which is inserted in the mouth of a horse, with the appendages (rings, etc.) to which the reins are fastened.
8. the joint of an umbrella.
9. A hammer used by masons for dressing granite and for rough picking.
10. in music, a short piece of tube used to alter slightly the pitch of such wind-instruments as the trumpet, cornet-à-pistons, etc.
11. A portion of food bitten off; a mouthful; a bite.
12. A morsel or a little piece of food.
13. hence A small quantity of food; a modicum or moderate supply of provisions: as, to take a bit and a sup.
14. A small piece or fragment of anything; a small portion or quantity; a little: as, a bit of glass; a bit of land; a bit of one's mind.
15. crisis; nick of time.
16. A small piece of ground; a spot.
17. any small coin: as, a fourpenny-bit; a six-penny-bit.
18.
19. preterit and occasional past participle of bite.
20. A middle english and anglo-saxon contraction of biddeth, third person singular indicative present of bid.
21. an obsolete spelling of bitt.
22. A middle english form of butt.
23. in mining: the cutting edge of a drill for boring rock by hand or by machine drilling.
24. A sharpened steel bar used for drilling rock by hand or by machine.
25. in ceramics, a small piece of stone for separating the pieces of pottery in the kiln: used before the invention of stilts, cock-spurs, and triangles. ware so made was called bit-stone ware.

1. a small fragment
2. a small piece or quantity of something
3. an indefinitely short time
4. a unit of measurement of information (from binary + digit); the amount of information in a system having two equiprobable states
5. the part of a key that enters a lock and lifts the tumblers
6. the cutting part of a drill; usually pointed and threaded and is replaceable in a brace or bitstock or drill press
7. a small amount of solid food; a mouthful
8. piece of metal held in horse's mouth by reins and used to control the horse while riding
9. an instance of some kind
10. a short theatrical performance that is part of a longer program
11. a small fragment of something broken off from the whole