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definitions

nit

1
[ nit ]
/ nɪt /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nit ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

RELATED WORDS

speck, insect, bug, particle, parasite, mote, minim, molecule, atom, bit, tick, smidgen, iota, minute, acarid

Nearby words

  1. nissan,
  2. nissen hut,
  3. nissl substance,
  4. nistru,
  5. nisus,
  6. nit-lamp,
  7. nit-pick,
  8. nit-picking,
  9. nit-picky,
  10. nitchie

Origin of nit

1
before 900; Middle English nite, Old English hnitu, cognate with Dutch neet, German Niss, Norwegian nit

nit

2
[ nit ]
/ nɪt /

noun Physics.

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

Origin of nit

2
1950–55; extracted from Latin nitor brightness; see nitid, -or1

nit

3
[ nit ]
/ nɪt /

noun Chiefly British.

a nitwit.

Origin of nit

3
by shortening
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for nit

British Dictionary definitions for nit

nit

1
/ (nɪt) /

noun

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

Word Origin for nit

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

noun

a unit of luminance equal to 1 candela per square metre

Word Origin for nit

C20: from Latin nitor brightness

noun

informal, mainly British short for nitwit

noun

a unit of information equal to 1.44 bitsAlso called: nepit

Word Origin for nit

C20: from N (apierian dig) it

noun

keep nit Australian informal to keep watch, esp during illegal activity

Word Origin for nit

C19: from nix 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for nit

nit

n.

Old English hnitu "louse egg, nit," from Proto-Germanic *khnito (cf. Norwegian nit, Middle Dutch nete, Dutch neet, Middle High German niz, German Niß), from PIE root *knid- "egg of a louse" (cf. Russian, Polish gnida, Czech knida; Greek konidos, genitive konis "egg of a louse").

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for nit

nit

[ nĭt ]

n.

The egg or young of a parasitic insect, such as a louse.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.