word-vault

{ "term": "bit", "partOfSpeech": "noun", "ox3000": true, "cefr": "a2", "image": "data/images/to/tools_diy_1.png", "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "rather; to some extent", "labels": "(especially British English)British EnglishNorth American EnglishBritish English", "cefr": "a2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "These trousers are a bit tight." }, { "text": "‘Are you tired?’ ‘Yes, I am a bit.’" }, { "text": "I was a bit disappointed by the film." }, { "text": "It costs **a bit more** than I wanted to spend." }, { "text": "The future looks **a little bit** brighter this morning." }, { "text": "I felt **a wee bit** guilty about it." }, { "text": "I can lend you fifty pounds, if you want. That should help a bit." }, { "text": "I'm still just a bit confused." }, { "text": "He helped me a little bit in the afternoon." } ], "synonyms": "a little", "collocations": { "adjective": ["little", "teensy", "wee"], "phrases": ["just a bit", "not the least bit"] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "a short time or distance", "sensetop": "for a bitin a bit", "labels": "(especially British English)", "cefr": "b1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "Wait a bit!" }, { "text": "Can you move up a bit?" }, { "text": "Greg thought for a bit before answering.", "contextForm": "for a bit" }, { "text": "See you in a bit.", "contextForm": "in a bit" } ] }, { "senseNumber": 3, "definition": "a small amount or piece of something", "sensetop": "bit of something", "labels": "(especially British English)", "cefr": "b1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "Here are some useful **bits of information**." }, { "text": "I have a **bit of** good **news** for you." }, { "text": "Let me give you **a little bit** of advice." }, { "text": "With **a bit of luck**, we'll be there by 12." }, { "text": "I've got a bit of shopping to do." }, { "text": "bits of paper/wood/plastic" }, { "text": "Here's a bit of news that may interest you." }, { "text": "Do you want a bit of pizza?" }, { "text": "Can you save me a bit?" }, { "text": "A big bit of plaster just fell down from the ceiling." }, { "text": "She tore the letter up and threw it on the floor. Marion stooped to pick up the bits." }, { "text": "I've bought a nice bit of fish for dinner." }, { "text": "I'm worried because bits keep falling off my car." }, { "text": "He managed to get odd bits of work, but no regular job." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 4, "definition": "a part of something larger", "sensetop": "bit about something", "labels": "(especially British English)", "cefr": "b1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "The best bit of the holiday was seeing the Grand Canyon." }, { "text": "I read it, but I missed out the boring bits." }, { "text": "I like the bit about owls in the first chapter.", "contextForm": "bit about something" }, { "text": "Listen to the interview again and pick out the bits you want to use in the article." }, { "text": "The school play was a huge success—the audience roared with laughter at all the funny bits." } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["little", "small", "tiny"], "verb + bit": ["pick out", "pick up"], "bit + verb": ["fall off"], "preposition": ["bit of"], "phrases": [ "bits and bobs", "bits and pieces", "blow something to bits" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 5, "definition": "a large amount", "sensetop": "a bit (of something)", "labels": "(especially British English, informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "‘How much does he earn?’ **‘Quite a bit!’**" }, { "text": "It rained **a fair bit** during the night." }, { "text": "The new system will **take a bit of** getting used to *(= it will take a long time to get used to)*." }, { "text": "‘Has it been difficult for you at work?’ ‘Just a bit (= it has been very difficult).’" }, { "text": "We made a good bit of progress." } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["fair", "good"], "verb + a bit": ["take"], "phrases": ["quite a bit", "just a bit"] } }, { "senseNumber": 6, "definition": "the smallest unit of information used by a computer", "cefr": "c2", "examples": [], "topics": ["Computers"] }, { "senseNumber": 7, "definition": "a metal bar that is put in a horse’s mouth so that the rider can control it", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": 8, "definition": "a tool or part of a tool for drilling (= making) holes", "examples": [], "collocations": { "adjective": ["little", "small", "tiny"], "verb + bit": ["pick out", "pick up"], "bit + verb": ["fall off"], "preposition": ["bit of"], "phrases": [ "bits and bobs", "bits and pieces", "blow something to bits" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 9, "definition": "an amount of money equal to 12½ cents", "labels": "(North American English, informal)", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": 10, "definition": "a person’s sexual organs", "labels": "(British English, informal)", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to be very sad or worried", "labels": "(British English, informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "Inside I'm in bits because I miss him so much." }, { "text": "I’m in bits about the problems I’ve had." }, { "text": "She was in bits over her decision to quit." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "behaviour or ideas that are typical of a particular group, type of person or activity", "labels": "(informal, disapproving)", "examples": [ { "text": "She couldn't accept the whole drug-culture bit." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "a piece at a time; gradually", "examples": [ { "text": "He assembled the model aircraft bit by bit." }, { "text": "Bit by bit memories of the night came back to me." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "not fair or not reasonable", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "It's a bit much calling me at three in the morning." }, { "text": "The noise from next door is getting a bit much." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "used when talking about unpleasant or negative things or ideas, to mean ‘rather a…’", "labels": "(informal, especially British English)", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "We may have a bit of a problem on our hands." }, { "text": "The rail strike is a bit of a pain." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "a person that you think is sexually attractive", "labels": "(British English, slang)", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "a person of a low social class who has a sexual relationship with somebody of a higher class", "labels": "(British English, slang)", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "the boyfriend or girlfriend of somebody who is already married or in a steady sexual relationship with somebody else", "labels": "(British English, slang)", "examples": [ { "text": "Is he your bit on the side?" } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "small objects or items of various kinds", "labels": "(British English, informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "She stuffed all her bits and pieces into a bag and left." }, { "text": "I just need to get a few bits and pieces at the supermarket." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to use bombs or other weapons to destroy somebody/something completely", "examples": [ { "text": "The plane was blown to pieces when the bomb exploded." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "impatient to do or start doing something", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "Gerry’s champing at the bit to go to college." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to do your share of a task", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "We can finish this job on time if everyone does their bit." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "just as good, bad, etc.; equally good, bad, etc.", "examples": [ { "text": "Rome is every bit as beautiful as Paris." }, { "text": "He’s every bit as clever as she is." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to become very enthusiastic about something that you have started to do so that you are unlikely to stop until you have finished", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "not at all; not in any way", "examples": [ { "text": "‘Are you cold?’ ‘Not a bit.’" }, { "text": "It's not a bit of use *(= there's no point in)* complaining." }, { "text": "I'm not the least bit interested in football." }, { "text": "I don't like that idea one bit." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "used for saying that something that you had expected to happen did not happen", "labels": "(informal, British English)", "examples": [ { "text": "You'd think she'd be tired after the journey but not a bit of it!" } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "not any", "labels": "(British English, informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "He didn't **take a blind bit of notice** of me *(= he ignored me)*." }, { "text": "It won't **make the blindest bit of difference** *(= it will make no difference at all)*." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "not at all", "examples": [ { "text": "Normally I'm not the least bit shy." }, { "text": "He wasn't the slightest bit interested in answering our questions." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "into small pieces", "examples": [ { "text": "The book fell to bits in my hands." }, { "text": "All the crockery had been smashed to bits." }, { "text": "She took the engine to bits, then carefully put it together again." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "very much", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "I love my kids to bits." }, { "text": "She was **thrilled to bits** when I said I'd come." } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/bɪt/", "audio": "bi/bit/bit__gb_6.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/bɪt/", "audio": "bi/bit/bit__us_1.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "senses 1 to 5 and senses 9 to 10 Old English bita ‘bite, mouthful’, of Germanic origin; related to German Bissen, also to bite.senses 7 to 8 Old English bite ‘biting, a bite’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch beet and German Biss, also to bite.sense 6 1940s: blend of binary and digit." }