bit

bit¹ W1S1 [bıt] adv, pron

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1¦(only slightly)¦

2¦(amount)¦

3¦(quite a lot)¦

4¦(time/distance)¦

5 a bit of a something

6 not a bit/not one bit

7 every bit as important/bad/good etc

8 bit by bit

9 a/one bit at a time

10 take a bit of doing/explaining etc

11 be a bit much

12 be a bit of all right

13 bit on the side

14 a bit of stuff/fluff/skirt

15 a bit of rough

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1.) ¦(ONLY SLIGHTLY)¦

a bitespecially BrE

a) slightly or to a small degree

= ↑a little

▪ Could you turn the TV up a bit?

▪ Try to relax a bit.

▪ That's a bit odd.

▪ 'Are you sorry to be leaving?' 'Yes, I am a bit.'

▪ Aren't you being a little bit unfair?

▪ I think you're a bit too young to be watching this.

▪ She looks a bit like my sister.

a bit better/older/easier etc

▪ I feel a bit better now.

b) sometimes, but not very often

▪ I used to act a bit when I was younger.

2.) ¦(AMOUNT)¦

a bit

especially BrE informal a small amount of a substance or of something that is not a physical object

= ↑a little a bit of

▪ I may need a bit of help.

▪ He still likes to do a bit of gardening.

▪ I want to spend a bit of time with him before he goes.

▪ With a bit of luck we should have finished by five o'clock.

▪ Everyone needs a little bit of encouragement.

▪ 'Would you like cream in your coffee?' 'Yes please, just a bit.'

a bit more/less

▪ Can we have a bit less noise please?

see usage note ↑few

3.) ¦(QUITE A LOT)¦

quite a bit also a good bit BrE

a fairly large amount or to a fairly large degree

▪ She's quite a bit older than you, isn't she?

▪ He knows quite a bit about painting.

quite a bit of

▪ I expect you do quite a bit of travelling?

quite a bit more/less

▪ They're worth quite a bit more than I thought.

4.) ¦(TIME/DISTANCE)¦

a bit

especially BrE a short period of time or a short distance

= ↑a while

▪ You'll have to wait a bit.

in a bit

▪ I'll see you in a bit.

for a bit

▪ We sat around for a bit chatting.

▪ I walked on a bit and then turned back.

5.) a bit of a sth

especially BrE used to show that the way you describe something is only true to a limited degree

▪ The news came as a bit of a shock.

▪ I felt a bit of a fool.

▪ It looks like they left in a bit of a hurry.

6.) not a bit/not one bit

especially BrE not at all

▪ You're not a bit like your brother.

▪ Am I cross? No, not a bit of it .

▪ I'm not in the least bit interested in whose fault it is.

▪ Well, you haven't surprised me, not one bit.

7.) every bit as important/bad/good etc

especially BrE used to emphasize that something is equally important, bad etc as something else

▪ Jodi plays every bit as well as the men.

8.) bit by bit

especially BrE gradually

▪ Bit by bit, I was starting to change my mind.

9.) a/one bit at a time

especially BrE in several small parts or stages

▪ Try to improve your lifestyle a bit at a time.

10.) take a bit of doing/explaining etc

BrE to be difficult to do, explain etc

▪ The new system took a bit of getting used to.

11.) be a bit much

BrE to be unacceptable, impolite, or unfair

▪ It's a bit much when he criticizes us for doing something that he does himself.

12.) be a bit of all right

BrE informal used to say that someone is sexually attractive

13.) bit on the side

BrE informal someone's bit on the side is a person they are having a sexual relationship with, even though they already have a wife, husband, or partner - used humorously or to show disapproval

▪ She stayed in the hope that he'd tire of his bit on the side.

14.) a bit of stuff/fluff/skirt

BrE informal not polite offensive expressions meaning a young woman, especially one who is sexually attractive

15.) a bit of rough

BrE informal someone of a lower social class that someone has a sexual relationship with - used humorously

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WORD CHOICE: a bit, a bit of

Use a bit before an adjective, not before a noun, nor before an adjective+noun : He's a bit shy (NOT a bit shy man).

Before a noun or adjective+noun, use a bit of : Let's listen to a bit of music (NOT a bit music). |It was a bit of a strange decision (NOT a bit strange decision).

You can also use a bit after the main verb : I cried a bit (NOT a bit cried).

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bit ²

bit² W1S1 n

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1¦(piece)¦

2¦(part)¦

3 to bits

4¦(computer)¦

5¦(tool)¦

6¦(horse)¦

7 bits and pieces

8 do your bit

9 get the bit between your teeth

10¦(money)¦

11 pull something to bits

12¦(typical behaviour/experience)¦

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[Sense: 1-3, 7-12; Origin: Old English bita 'piece bitten off, small piece of food']

[Sense: 4; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: binary digit]

[Sense: 5-6; Origin: Old English bite 'act of biting']

1.) ¦(PIECE)¦

a small piece of something

bit of

▪ bits of broken glass

▪ He wedged the door open with a bit of wood.

break/rip/shake etc sth to bits

▪ The aircraft was blown to bits.

▪ He's taken the engine to bits .

fall/come to bits

▪ The old house was falling to bits.

2.) ¦(PART)¦

BrE informal a part of something larger

▪ This is the boring bit.

bit of

▪ We did the last bit of the journey on foot.

bit about

▪ Did you like the bit about the monkey?

3.) to bits

BrE informal very much or extremely

▪ Mark's a darling, I love him to bits .

thrilled/chuffed/pleased to bits

▪ I've always wanted a car, so I'm thrilled to bits.

4.) ¦(COMPUTER)¦

the smallest unit of information that a computer uses

▪ a 32-bit processor

5.) ¦(TOOL)¦

the sharp part of a tool for cutting or making holes

▪ a drill bit

6.) ¦(HORSE)¦

the metal bar attached to a horse's ↑bridle that is put into its mouth and used to control it

→be champing at the bit at ↑champ¹ (2)

7.) bits and pieces also bits and bobs BrE informal any small things of various kinds

▪ Let me get all my bits and pieces together.

8.) do your bit informal

to do a fair share of the work, effort etc that is needed to achieve something good or important

▪ Everyone should do their bit for the environment.

9.) get the bit between your teeth

BrE take the bit between your teeth AmE

to do something or deal with something in a very determined way, so that you are not likely to stop until it is done

10.) ¦(MONEY)¦

a) two bits/four bits

AmE informal 25 cents or 50 cents

b) BrE old-fashioned a small coin

▪ a threepenny bit

11.) pull sth to bits

BrE informal to criticize something strongly

▪ The critics pulled his new play to bits.

12.) ¦(TYPICAL BEHAVIOUR/EXPERIENCE)¦ informal

used to mean a kind of behaviour or experience that is typical of someone or something

the (whole) student/movie star/travelling etc bit

▪ Then she gave us the concerned mother bit.

bit ³

bit³

the past tense of ↑bite