bit

noun

1. a small piece or quantity of something"a spot of tea"
2. a small fragment of something broken off from the whole"a bit of rock caught him in the eye"
3. an indefinitely short time"wait just a moment"
4. an instance of some kind"it was a nice piece of work"
5. piece of metal held in horse's mouth by reins and used to control the horse while riding"the horse was not accustomed to a bit"
6. a unit of measurement of information (from binary + digit); the amount of information in a system having two equiprobable states"there are 8 bits in a byte"
7. a small amount of solid food; a mouthful"all they had left was a bit of bread"
8. a small fragment"overheard snatches of their conversation"
9. a short performance that is part of a longer program"he did his act three times every evening"
10. the part of a key that enters a lock and lifts the tumblers
11. the cutting part of a drill; usually pointed and threaded and is replaceable in a brace or bitstock or drill press"he looked around for the right size bit"