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

• back story
• back straight
• back straights
• backstreet
• backstreet abortion
• backstreet abortions
• backstreets
• back stretch
• back stretches
• backstroke
• backstrokes
• backswimmer
• backswimmers
• backswing
• backswings
• backsword
• backswordman
• backswordmen
• backswords
• back talk
• back time
• back-to-back
• back to basics
• back to earth
• back to front