bit

[[t]bɪ̱t[/t]]

♦

bits

1) QUANT: QUANT of n-uncount A bit of something is a small amount of it.

All it required was a bit of work...

I got paid a little bit of money.

2) PHRASE: PHR adj/adv/prep (vagueness) A bit means to a small extent or degree. It is sometimes used to make a statement less extreme.

This girl was a bit strange...

I think people feel a bit more confident...

She looks a bit like his cousin Maureen...

That sounds a bit technical...

Isn't that a bit harsh?

Syn:

slightly

3) PHRASE: PHR n (vagueness) You can use a bit of to make a statement less forceful. For example, the statement `It's a bit of a nuisance' is less forceful than `It's a nuisance'.

It's all a bit of a mess...

Students have always been portrayed as a bit of a joke...

This comes as a bit of a disappointment.

4) PHRASE: PHR of n, PHR after v, PHR compar Quite a bit means quite a lot.

They're worth quite a bit of money...

Things have changed quite a bit...

He's quite a bit older than me.

5) PHRASE: PHR more/less You use a bit before `more' or `less' to mean a small amount more or a small amount less.

I still think I have a bit more to offer...

Maybe we'll hear a little bit less noise.

...a bit more than half the total official debt.

6) PHRASE: PHR with v If you do something a bit, you do it for a short time. In British English, you can also say that you do something for a bit.

Let's wait a bit...

I hope there will be time to talk a bit - or at least ask you about one or two things this evening...

That should keep you busy for a bit.

7) N-COUNT: with supp, oft N of n A bit of something is a small part or section of it. [mainly BRIT]

That's the bit of the meeting that I missed...

Now comes the really important bit...

The best bit was walking along the glacier.

Syn:

part

8) N-COUNT: usu N of n A bit of something is a small piece of it. [mainly BRIT]

Only a bit of string looped round a nail in the doorpost held it shut.

...crumpled bits of paper.

Syn:

piece

9) N-COUNT: usu N of n You can use bit to refer to a particular item or to one of a group or set of things. For example, a bit of information is an item of information.

There was one bit of vital evidence which helped win the case...

Not one single bit of work has been started towards the repair of this road.

10) N-SING: the supp N (disapproval) You use bit in expressions such as the charity bit and the whole marriage bit to refer to everything that is involved in something, when you do not think it is important. [INFORMAL]

Syn:

thing

11) N-COUNT In computing, a bit is the smallest unit of information that is held in a computer's memory. It is either 1 or 0. Several bits form a byte.

12) N-COUNT A bit is 12¹/₂ cents; mainly used in expressions such as two bits, which means 25 cents, or four bits, which means 50 cents. [AM]

13) N-COUNT A bit is a piece of metal that is held in a horse's mouth and is used to control the horse when you are riding.

14) Bit is the past tense of bite.

15) PHRASE: PHR with v If something happens bit by bit, it happens in stages.

Bit by bit I began to understand what they were trying to do.

16) PHRASE: V inflects If someone is champing at the bit or is chomping at the bit, they are very impatient to do something, but they are prevented from doing it, usually by circumstances that they have no control over.

I expect you're champing at the bit, so we'll get things going as soon as we can.

17) PHRASE: V inflects If you do your bit, you do something that, to a small or limited extent, helps to achieve something.

Marcie always tried to do her bit.

18) PHRASE: PHR adj/adv (emphasis) You say that one thing is every bit as good, interesting, or important as another to emphasize that the first thing is just as good, interesting, or important as the second.

My dinner jacket is every bit as good as his.

Syn:

just as

19) PHRASE: v-link PHR (feelings) If you say that something is a bit much, you are annoyed because you think someone has behaved in an unreasonable way. [mainly BRIT, INFORMAL]

It's a bit much expecting young people to carry the can for lenders' past mistakes.

20) PHRASE (emphasis) You use not a bit when you want to make a strong negative statement. [mainly BRIT]

I'm really not a bit surprised...

`Are you disappointed?' `Not a bit.'

21) PHRASE (emphasis) You say not a bit of it to emphasize that something that you might expect to be the case is not the case. [BRIT]

Did he give up? Not a bit of it!

22) PHRASE You can use bits and pieces or bits and bobs to refer to a collection of different things. [INFORMAL]

23) PHRASE: V inflects If you get the bit between your teeth, or take the bit between your teeth, you become very enthusiastic about a job you have to do.

24) PHRASE: PHR after v If something is smashed or blown to bits it is broken into a number of pieces. If something falls to bits it comes apart so that it is in a number of pieces.

She found a pretty yellow jug smashed to bits.

25) thrilled to bits → see thrilled