Meaning & use
bits
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“bits” is a form of “bit”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Small pieces or parts of something.
Grammar: Always plural in this sense; the singular is 'bit'. Often used with 'of'.
Patterns
- bits of something
- break into bits
- fall to bits
The glass shattered into tiny bits on the floor.
She cut the paper into small bits for the art project.
After the storm, there were bits of branches all over the yard.
nounpluralinformal
Small amounts of something, especially food or drink.
Grammar: Plural; often used in phrases like 'bits and pieces' or 'bits of food'.
Patterns
- bits of food
- bits and pieces
- bits and bobs
He wiped the bits of food off the table.
There are a few bits of cheese left in the fridge.
She gave the dog some bits of meat.
nounpluralcomputing
Units of information in computing, represented as 0 or 1.
Grammar: Plural of 'bit'; used in technical contexts. Often in phrases like 'bits per second'.
Patterns
- bits per second
- bits and bytes
- a stream of bits
The internet speed is measured in bits per second.
A byte is made up of eight bits.
The computer processes millions of bits of data every second.
nounpluralinformalBritish
Small items or personal belongings, often of little value.
Grammar: Informal British English; used in phrases like 'bits and pieces' or 'bits and bobs'.
Patterns
- bits and pieces
- bits and bobs
- all my bits
I've got a few bits and pieces to pick up from the shop.
She packed her bits and bobs into a small box.
He left his bits and pieces all over the living room.
Word forms
| singular | bit |
|---|
Common combinations
- bits and pieces
- I need to sort out a few bits and pieces before the meeting.
- bits and bobs
- She keeps all her bits and bobs in a drawer.
- bits of food
- He cleaned up the bits of food that fell on the floor.
- bits per second
- The connection speed is 100 bits per second.
- fall to bits
- The old book was falling to bits.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pieces
- More general; 'bits' often suggests smaller or less important pieces.
- fragments
- More formal; often used for broken pieces of hard materials.
- scraps
- Often used for small leftover pieces of food or material.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: bits or bites?
bits vs bites
The plural of 'bite' (an act of biting) or the third-person singular of the verb 'bite'. 'Bits' is the plural of 'bit'.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'Bits' is plural, so it is used with plural verbs and without 'a'. Option An is correct. Option B is wrong because 'a bits' is not grammatical; it should be 'a bit' or 'bits'. Option C is wrong for the same reason. Option D is grammatically possible but unnatural; 'pieces of information' is more common.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bits”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.