tidbit

American  

[tid-bit] / ˈtɪdˌbɪt /

especially British, titbit

noun

1. a delicate bit or morsel of food.

2. a choice or pleasing bit of anything, as news or gossip.

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tidbit British  

/ ˈtɪdˌbɪt /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of titbit

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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

That’s a useful tidbit for investors, who like to follow recall data, to know.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

But it also contains this tidbit, food for thought today:

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

At this, America’s hockey dudes laughed dutifully and dude-ily, unaware of how disgusting people would find this tidbit of locker room talk.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

He said: "A little interesting tidbit is that this means the boiling point of water will be probably 98C for parts of the north west of Scotland on Friday night, in theory."

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2025

She did find one interesting tidbit, however: Pauline Hawthorne had taught at the New York School of Fine Arts—though apparently not out of need for money.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Related Words

• goody
• morsel