BIT


Meaning of BIT in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ bɪt ]

( bits)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

1.

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.

QUANT : QUANT of n-uncount

2.

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...

She looks a bit like his cousin Maureen...

That sounds a bit technical...

Isn’t that a bit harsh?

= slightly

PHRASE : PHR adj / adv / prep [ vagueness ]

3.

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...

This comes as a bit of a disappointment.

PHRASE : PHR n [ vagueness ]

4.

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.

PHRASE : PHR of n , PHR after v , PHR compar

5.

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.

PHRASE : PHR more/less

6.

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...

That should keep you busy for a bit.

PHRASE : PHR with v

7.

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.

= part

N-COUNT : with supp , oft N of n

8.

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.

= piece

N-COUNT : usu N of n

9.

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.

N-COUNT : usu N of n

10.

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.

N-COUNT

11.

A bit is 12½ cents; mainly used in expressions such as two bits , which means 25 cents, or four bits , which means 50 cents. ( AM )

N-COUNT

12.

Bit is the past tense of bite .

13.

If something happens bit by bit , it happens in stages.

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

PHRASE : PHR with v

14.

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.

PHRASE : V inflects

15.

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.

PHRASE : V inflects

16.

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.

PHRASE : PHR adj / adv [ emphasis ]

17.

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 me to dump your boyfriend for you.

PHRASE : v-link PHR [ feelings ]

18.

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.’

PHRASE [ emphasis ]

19.

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!

PHRASE [ emphasis ]

20.

You can use bits and pieces or bits and bobs to refer to a collection of different things. ( INFORMAL )

PHRASE

21.

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.

PHRASE : V inflects

22.

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.

PHRASE : PHR after v

23.

thrilled to bits: see thrilled

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Английский словарь Коллинз COBUILD для изучающих язык на продвинутом уровне.