nit

¹

[ nit ]

noun

1. the egg of a parasitic insect, especially of a louse, often attached to a hair or a fiber of clothing.
2. the young of such an insect.

nit

²

[ nit ]

noun

, Chiefly British.

1. a nitwit.

nit

³

[ nit ]

noun

, Physics.

1. a unit of luminous intensity equal to one candela per square meter. : nt

nit

¹

/ nɪt /

noun

1. informal.
   short for nitwit

nit

²

/ nɪt /

noun

1. a unit of luminance equal to 1 candela per square metre

nit

³

/ nɪt /

noun

1. a unit of information equal to 1.44 bits Also callednepit

nit

⁴

/ nɪt /

noun

1. keep nit informal.
   to keep watch, esp during illegal activity

nit

⁵

/ nɪt /

noun

1. the egg of a louse, especially when adhering to human hair
2. the larva of a louse or similar insect

Word History and Origins

Origin of nit¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English nite, nete, nette, Old English hnitu, cognate with Dutch neet, German Niss, Old Icelandic gnit, Norwegian gnett; akin to Welsh nedd, Polish gnida, Greek konís (stem konid- ), from Proto-Indo-European root knid- “egg of a louse”

Origin of nit²

First recorded in 1590–1600; perhaps from nit ¹( def ); perhaps from nit(wit) ( def )

Origin of nit³

First recorded in 1950–55; from French, extracted from Latin nitor “brightness, splendor”; nitid, -or ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of nit¹

C20: from Latin nitor brightness

Origin of nit²

C20: from N ( apierian dig ) it

Origin of nit³

C19: from nix ¹

Origin of nit⁴

Old English hnitu; related to Dutch neet, Old High German hniz

Example Sentences

I would hope that more people—especially editors—would be nit-pickers!

From The Daily Beast

Some people turn nit into “night,” and the sol is solar, though it may be “salt” in Russian.

From The Daily Beast

Instead, they have unleashed a storm of nit-picking and vilification.

From The Daily Beast

Even after logging countless hours nit-picking her work, there is no one I'd rather spend time with.

From The Daily Beast

If we had the sense of a Venusian water nit, we'd blast out of here so quick our tail fumes'd take off with us!

From Project Gutenberg

Eppes as glatt knn es nit sein, glatt as denn nemmt mn un' mn kummt?

From Project Gutenberg

Un' as werd wieder der igener Gepilder, ws frher; Alle lufen un' me wisst nit wuhin.

From Project Gutenberg

Die ugen kucken in offenem Korben-minche, nor see sehn die Wrter nit.

From Project Gutenberg

Nor sie kuckt trucken, wie varstinert, in ihr Ssider; nit sie wint, nit sie dawent.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bug
• insect