From Middle English wiȝt, wight, from Old English wiht, from Proto-Germanic *wihtą or *wihtiz, from Proto-Indo-European *wekti-, from *wekʷ-.

• enPR: wĭt, hwĭt, IPA: /wɪt/, /ʍɪt/

whit (plural whits)

1. The smallest part or particle imaginable; an iota.

   Synonyms: bit, iota, jot, scrap, Thesaurus:modicum

   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene iii], page 151 ↗:

     Star. I beleeue we muſt leaue the killing out, when all is done.
     Bot. Not a whit: I haue a deuice to make all well.

   • 1917, Countee Cullen, Incident:

     Now I was eight and very small, / And he was no whit bigger / And so I smiled, but he poked out / His tongue, and called me, 'Nigger.'

• French: once
• Russian: йо́та

1. Pronunciation spelling of with

whit (plural whits)

1. The season of Whitsuntide.

Shortening of the surname of Dick Whittington, London mayor who funded the rebuilding of the prison.

1. (originally, thieves, now, archaic or historical) Newgate Prison in London, England (particularly as it was in the 15- and 1600s).