tidbit
Americannoun
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tidbits
plural
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a delicate bit or morsel of food.
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a choice or pleasing bit of anything, as news or gossip.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tidbit
First recorded in 1630–40; tide 1 (in sense “feast day”) + bit 2
Explanation
A tidbit is a small amount of something delicious. You might have a tidbit to tide you over between lunch and dinner. If you're tempted to feed your dog tidbits of your dinner, remember that that's a good way to turn him into a chubby dog that begs for food. The word tidbit can also mean "a bit of gossipy information," and you may notice yourself lingering where you can overhear a phone conversation, hoping for a few tidbits. Tidbit, or titbit in the U.K., comes from the dialectical tid, "fond or tender."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
There is always a chance these dinners may provide some tidbit of relevant information, but I have no interest in opening an account.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
So right now in government, officials are "rushing around picking up every little hint and tidbit on areas that might affect their department", in the words of one former senior figure.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
But it also contains this tidbit, food for thought today:
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
Still, now is the time to pause, take a deep breath and maybe heed a tidbit of time-honored advice from a handful of Wall Street veterans: Buy the dip.
From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026
Every now and then he’d drop a tidbit of information, about a place he’d visited or his steakhouse.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
End the day with some wordplay: What’s an 11-letter word for “Hogs”? And what’s a three-letter word for a “Hog’s neighbor, maybe”? Play today’s crossword for some clever clues and interesting trivia tidbits.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Your direct reports might trust you more if you gave them small tidbits about your life.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
"He gave us some little tidbits about what was going on, but he never knew anything about the Pan Am bombing. And he knew a lot about Megrahi," Holt says.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Ms. Jackson, a marine biologist and science educator, includes brief informational tidbits about the species we’re on the lookout for, with an eye for details that will appeal to the sensibilities of curious readers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
She throws out inside tidbits of information about him: he was married in Hungary, but his wife didn’t come with him and now he’s divorced.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
