- whit
- whit "smallest particle," 12c., in na whit "no amount," from O.E. nan wiht, from wiht "amount," originally "person, human being" (see WIGHT (Cf. wight)).
Etymology dictionary. 2014.
whit
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whit — whit·en; whit·en·er; whit·field s; whit·ish·ness; whit·leather; whit·ley; whit·ling; whit·lock·ite; whit·low; whit·man·ese; whit·man·esque; whit·ma·ni·ac; whit·mon·day; whit·rack; whit·ster; whit·sun·day; whit·sun·tide; whit·taw·er; whit·ten;… … English syllables
Whit — Sunday (or Pentecost) is the seventh Sunday after Easter, and Whit Monday is the day following Whit Sunday. Whitsun and Whit are regularly used as informal shortenings of Whitsuntide, the weekend including Whit Sunday. Whit is related in form to… … Modern English usage
Whit — Whit, n. [OE. wight, wiht, AS. wiht a creature, a thing. See {Wight}, and cf. {Aught}, {Naught}.] The smallest part or particle imaginable; a bit; a jot; an iota; generally used in an adverbial phrase in a negative sentence. Samuel told him every … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
whit — a 16c word derived ultimately from an Old English form meaning ‘a thing or creature of unknown origin’, is commonly used in both BrE and AmE in the phrase not a whit or no whit (= not at all, by no means): • This much ballyhooed Andrew Lloyd… … Modern English usage
whit — [wıt] n [Date: 1400 1500; Origin: wight creature, thing, bit (11 19 centuries), from Old English wiht] not a whit old fashioned not at all ▪ Sara had not changed a whit … Dictionary of contemporary English
whit — [ wıt, hwıt ] noun not a whit/not one whit OLD FASHIONED not at all … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
whit — ► NOUN ▪ a very small part or amount. ● not a whit Cf. ↑not a whit ORIGIN apparently from WIGHT(Cf. ↑W) in the obsolete sense «small amount» … English terms dictionary
whit — [hwit, wit] n. [Early ModE respelling of wiht, a WIGHT1] the least bit; jot; iota: chiefly in negative constructions [not a whit the wiser] … English World dictionary
whit´en|er — whit|en «HWY tuhn», transitive verb. to make white or whiter: »Sunshine helps to whiten clothes. –v.i. to become white or whiter: »She whitened when she heard the bad news. –whit´en|er, noun. Synonym Study transitive verb, intransitive verb.… … Useful english dictionary
whit|en — «HWY tuhn», transitive verb. to make white or whiter: »Sunshine helps to whiten clothes. –v.i. to become white or whiter: »She whitened when she heard the bad news. –whit´en|er, noun. Synonym Study transitive verb, intransitive verb. Whiten,… … Useful english dictionary
