bit
noun · verb · adjective
Simple meaning
A very small amount of something or a single computer number
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bitIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A small amount of solid food; a mouthful
“All they had left was a bit of bread.”
mathematicscomputing
A binary digit, generally represented as a 1 or 0.
A small piece or quantity of something
A small fragment of something broken off from the whole
computing
The smallest unit of storage in a digital computer, consisting of a binary digit.
An excerpt of material making up part of a show, comedy routine, etc.
verb
transitive
To put a bridle upon; to put the bit in the mouth of (a horse).
adjective
chiefly in combination
Having been bitten.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A binary digit, generally represented as a 1 or 0.
Used this way, bit is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a mathematical use: it is defined precisely and belongs to working with figures and calculations rather than to ordinary conversation.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Mathematics
- Geometry
- Academic writing
- Education/classroom
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use bit
- “All they had left was a bit of bread.”noun
- “There are 8 bits in a byte.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.