bit¹ /bit/

1. A bite, morsel
2. A small piece, a little
3. A coin
4. 121/2 cents (N American) (used only in two bits, four bits or six bits, ie a quarter, a half or three-quarters of a dollar)
5. The smallest degree
6. A brief space of time
7. A small tool for boring (see brace)
8. The boring-piece of a drilling machine
9. The cutting or biting part of various tools
10. The part of the bridle that the horse holds in its mouth
11. The part of a key that engages the lever of the lock
12. Used with the effect of a diminutive, as in a bit of a laddie, a bit laddie (dialect, esp Scot)
13. A girl, young woman (informal)
14. An (area of) activity, an act, a role (slang)

1. To put the bit in the mouth of
2. To curb or restrain

bitˈless adjective

Without a bit

bitˈsy adjective (informal)

Prettily small

bittˈie noun (Scot)

A small piece, short distance, or short time

bittˈock noun (Scot)

A little bit

bittˈy adjective

1. Scrappy, disjointed, made up of odds and ends
2. Not forming an artistic whole

bitˈ-part noun

A small part in acting

bit player noun

An actor who plays bit-parts

a bit or a bit of

Somewhat, rather, as in a bit of a fool, a bit stupid

a bit of all right (slang)

A person or thing highly approved of

a bit off (informal)

In bad taste

a bit on the side (slang)

(one's partner in) extramarital sexual relations

bit by bit

1. Piecemeal
2. Gradually

bits and bobs or bits and pieces

Odds and ends

champ at the bit

To be impatient to act

do one's bit

To do one's due share

every bit

Just as much

not a bit or not a bit of it

Not at all

off the bit

On a loose rein

on the bit

On a tight rein

take (or get) the bit in (or between) one's teeth

1. To throw off control
2. To take up or have a tenacious or keen interest (in) or occupation (with something)

to bits

1. (to fall, etc) apart
2. Very much (informal)

bitt /bit/ (nautical)

A post for fastening cables, etc (usu in pl)

To fasten (a cable, etc) round the bitts

bittˈer noun

1. The turn of cable round the bitts, hence perh the bitter end the end of the rope
2. The end of a task, however long-drawn-out or difficult
3. Final conclusive defeat or death

• why-not
• why, so
• WI
• wibble
• wibbled
• wibbles
• wibbling
• wine vinegars
• wine waiter
• wine waiters
• winey
• wing
• wing-and-wing
• wing back
• wing backs
• wingbeat
• wingbeats
• wing case
• wing cases
• wing chair
• wing chairs
• wing collar
• wing collars
• wing commander
• wing commanders