Jump To:

• tit
  tit

  noun

  a titmouse.
• tit.
  tit.

  abbreviation

  title.
• Tit.
  Tit.

  abbreviation

  Titus.

tit

¹ American  

[tit] / tɪt /

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 American  

[tit] / tɪt /

noun

1. a teat.

2. Slang: Vulgar. a breast.

---

tit ³ American  

[tit] / tɪt /

noun

1. tit for tat.

---

tit. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. title.

---

Tit. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

Bible.

1. Titus.

---

tit ¹ British  

/ 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 British  

/ 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 British  

abbreviation

1. Titus

---

Etymology

Origin of tit¹

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

Origin of tit³

Perhaps variant of tip ⁴

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tit tit. Tit.

He praised Powell’s avoidance of engaging in tit for tat with the president.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

The culprit: a half-ounce bird called the blue tit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Researchers plan to continue monitoring the great tit population in Wytham Woods to understand how these weather effects may shift in the future.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 12, 2026

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 ● Aug. 11, 2025

“Well, like I said, I always believed in my dreams. It’s funny, there wasn’t nothing out there except some smashed medicine bottles and a little rubber tit from an eye-dropper.”

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

The issue of all which tragedie is to be imputed to the prouidence and counsell of almightie God, as one writeth verie agréablie to this purpose, saieng, Hesi. in lib. cui tit. op. & dies.

From Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (5 of 12) Henrie the Second by Raphael Holinshed

Various laws and ordinances concerning the discovery and operation of mines in the Spanish colonies may be found in Recopilación de leyes. mainly in lib. iv, tit. xix, xx, and lib. viii, tit. xi.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 20 of 55 1621-1624 Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century. by Emma Helen Blair

Laws regarding navigation and commerce.—In lib. ix, tit. xxxxv.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 25 of 55 1635-36 Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, As Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century by James Alexander Robertson

Decretals, cap. x, De Hæreticis, lib. v, tit. vii.

From The Inquisition A Critical and Historical Study of the Coercive Power of the Church by Bertrand L. (Bertrand Louis) Conway

Various laws on this subject are found in Recopilación leyes de Indias, lib. i, tit. xx; one of these may be found ante, pp.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 28 of 55 1637-38 Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century by Emma Helen Blair

This later transcriber ends abruptly in the middle of a page with ⲉⲑⲣⲟⲩ, Tit. ii.

From A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, Vol. II. by Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener

If it be said again, that we are not only bidden be subject, but likewise to obey magistrates, Tit. iii.

From The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2) by George Gillespie

From the words of St. Paul, Tit. i.

From The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints January, February, March by Alban Butler

This is that which the grace of God teaches, to deny “ungodliness and worldly lusts,” and to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, towards your God, your neighbour, and yourself,” Tit. ii.

From The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning by Hugh Binning

See Ulpian, Tit., xi, 3, 4, and 24.

From A Short History of Women's Rights From the Days of Augustus to the Present Time. with Special Reference to England and the United States. Second Edition Revised, With Additions. by Eugene Arthur Hecker