# bit

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbɪt/ · frequency rank #419

## Definitions
1. A piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and connected to the reins to direct the animal.
2. 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.
3. Applied to a various small units of currency and coins.
4. Applied to a various small units of currency and coins.
5. Applied to a various small units of currency and coins.
6. Applied to a various small units of currency and coins.
7. Applied to a various small units of currency and coins.
8. Applied to a various small units of currency and coins.
9. A small amount of something.
10. Specifically, a small amount of time.
11. A small fraction above a whole number.
12. Fractions of a second.
13. A portion of something.
14. Somewhat; something, but not very great; also used like jot and whit to express the smallest degree. See also a bit.
15. A replaceable tip for a hand tool or power tool, comprising the portion that drives a fastener.
16. A prison sentence, especially a short one.
17. An excerpt of material making up part of a show, comedy routine, etc.
18. A gag or put-on; a humorous conceit, especially when insistently presented as true.
19. Ellipsis of bit part.
20. The part of a key which enters the lock and acts upon the bolt and tumblers.
21. The cutting iron of a plane.
22. The bevelled front edge of an axehead along which the cutting edge runs.
23. A gag of a style similar to a bridle.
24. A gun.

## Etymology
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.

## Easily confused with
- **by** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-by)
- **BS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bs)
- **bo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bo)
- **br** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-br)
- **Bt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bt)
- **BP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bp)
- **BL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bl)
- **BM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bm)
- **bn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bn)
- **BJ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bj)
- **BW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bw)
- **BX** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bx)
- **but** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-but)
- **buy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-buy)
- **boy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-boy)
- **box** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-box)
- **bus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bus)
- **bob** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bob)
- **bro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bro)
- **bye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bit-vs-bye)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bit