tit

¹

[tit]

noun

1. a titmouse.

2. any of various other small birds.

3. Archaic.,  a girl or young woman; hussy.

4. Archaic.,  a small or poor horse; nag.

tit

²

[tit]

noun

1. a teat.

2. Slang: Vulgar.,  a breast.

tit

³

[tit]

noun

1. tit for tat.

tit.

⁴

abbreviation

1. title.

Tit.

⁵

abbreviation

Bible.

1. Titus.

tit

¹

/ tɪt /

noun

1. slang,  a female breast

2. a teat or nipple

3. derogatory,  a girl or young woman

4. slang,  a despicable or unpleasant person: often used as a term of address

tit

²

/ tɪt /

noun

1. any of numerous small active Old World songbirds of the family Paridae (titmice), esp those of the genus Parus (bluetit, great tit, etc). They have a short bill and feed on insects and seeds

2. any of various similar small birds

3. archaic,  a worthless or worn-out horse; nag

Tit.

³

abbreviation

1. Titus

Word History and Origins

Origin of tit¹

First recorded in 1540–50; short for titmouse ( def. ); akin to Old Norse titlingr “sparrow,” Norwegian tite “titmouse”; tit ²

Origin of tit²

First recorded before 1100; Middle English, Old English tit(t) “teat, pap, breast”; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch titte, German Zitze, Norwegian titta; akin to tit ¹; teat ( def. )

Origin of tit³

Perhaps variant of tip ⁴

Word History and Origins

Origin of tit¹

Old English titt; related to Middle Low German title, Norwegian titta

Origin of tit²

C16: perhaps of imitative origin, applied to small animate or inanimate objects; compare Icelandic tittr pin

Example Sentences

“The concern for the public and for representative democracy is that you’re going to have a lot of tit for tat moving forward,” Skelley told Salon.

From Salon

Sentencing him on Friday, Judge Mark Lucraft KC said the gang rivalry had seen a number of "tit for tat" murders and attempted murders in London and overseas over the past 10 years.

From BBC

Instead of tit for tat, the prime minister is pivoting Canada with precision toward alternative trade blocs like Europe and the Pacific Rim.

From Salon

"We're happier sat in an oak tree ten foot from the ground, watching blue tits feeding on caterpillars – involved and immersed in that natural world."

From BBC

One of the men who contacted us was a cameraman who says he witnessed Wallace asking a female worker if she had "any friends with nice tits like yours".

From BBC