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Bit: Meaning, Usage & Examples in English (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：small piece (bit)
bit
/bɪt/
n.
A small piece or amount of something, like food or time.
small piece
➕
/smɔːl piːs/
n.
A small or minor part, fragment, or quantity of something physical or abstract.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Old English 'bita' (a piece bitten off), related to 'bite'.
💡 Mnemonic
Remember "bit" by linking it to "bite" – you take a small bit when you bite.
📖 Example
She broke off a bit of the cookie to share with her friend during tea time.
She broke off a small piece of the cookie to share.
🔗 Collocations
a bit of – a small amount of something
bit by bit – gradually, in small stages
do one's bit – to make a small contribution to a larger effort
🔄 Synonyms
🌱 Derivatives
📖 Cultural Story
Originating from Old English 'bita', meaning a piece bitten off. In computing, 'bit' (binary digit) was coined by mathematician John W. Tukey, who contracted 'binary' and 'digit', giving an ancient word a pivotal modern role in the digital age.
Meaning 2：binary digit (bit)
bit
/bɪt/
n.
In computing, the basic unit of information that represents a 0 or 1, used for data storage.
binary digit
➕
/ˈbaɪnəri ˈdɪdʒɪt/
n.
The fundamental unit of information in computing and digital communications, representing a logical state of 0 or 1.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
The image file size is large because it contains millions of bits to display high-quality colors.
The image file is large because it contains millions of binary digits for high quality.
🔗 Collocations
bit rate – the number of bits processed per unit of time
bit depth – the number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel
bit stream – a sequence of bits transmitted continuously
🔄 Synonyms
binary digit (n.) – The full term for a single unit of binary data.
data unit (n.) – A basic unit of digital information.
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