nit

[nit]

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.

Origin of nit

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

nit

[nit]

noun Physics.

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

Origin of nit

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

nit

[nit]

noun Chiefly British.

a nitwit.

Origin of nit

by shortening

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for nit

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

Examples from the Web for nit

Historical Examples of nit

But Lee wuz dead in earnest an' growin' more excited ivery min nit.
The U.P. Trail
Zane Grey
Nor sie kuckt trucken, wie varstinert, in ihr Ssider; nit sie wint, nit sie dawent.
The History of Yiddish Literature in the Nineteenth Century
Leo Wiener
Das der gmein man, one eine offne Disputation, nit zu stillen was.
History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, Volume III
J. H. Merle D'Aubign
“Weiss nit,” he mumbled, beginning to stagger as the serpent struck its fangs into his vitals.
The Cup of Fury
Rupert Hughes
A fire not large enough to roast a nit, and a supper too small to fatten him beforehand!
Paul Clifford, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

British Dictionary definitions for nit

nit

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

nit

noun

a unit of luminance equal to 1 candela per square metre

Word Origin for nit

C20: from Latin nitor brightness

nit

noun

informal, mainly British short for nitwit

nit

⁴

noun

a unit of information equal to 1.44 bitsAlso called: nepit

Word Origin for nit

C20: from N (apierian dig) it

nit

⁵

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

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").

nit in Medicine

nit

[nĭt]

The egg or young of a parasitic insect, such as a louse.