Chit

/t͡ʃɪt/ · noun

Meaning

A child or babe; a young, small, or insignificant person or animal..

Definitions by Sense

1. A child or babe; a young, small, or insignificant person or animal.
2. A pert or sassy young person, especially a young woman.
3. The embryonic growing bud of a plant.
4. (obsolete) An excrescence on the body, as a wart or a pimple.
5. (intransitive) To sprout; to shoot, as a seed or plant.
6. (transitive) To damage the outer layers of a seed such as Lupinus or Sophora to assist germination.
7. (transitive) To initiate sprouting of tubers, such as potatoes, by placing them in special environment, before planting into the soil.
8. (dated) A small sheet or scrap of paper with a hand-written note as a reminder or personal message.

Example Sentences

Madam was a little chit of a woman, not five feet in her highest headdress and shoes, and Mr. Washington a great tall man of six feet two.

“These are returns,” I said, “quite fit To me, who nursed you when a chit. For shame, lay by this envious art; Is this to act a sister's part?”

[…] he seemed to come forward from an era of sexual defiance and fighting alliances and to cast a dismissive eye over a little chit like Nick, who had never fought for anything.

Hilda drove in silence for some time after this piece of unheard-of insolence from that chit Connie.

Near-synonyms: shoot, sprout, seedling

the chits of Indian corn or of potatoes

The Barley after it has been couched four or five days in cold Weather will sweat a little, and begin to show the Chit or Sprit at the Root-end of the Corn,

I have known it chit in seven hours after it had been thrown forth of the Cistern and within three days come enough; the Maltster being forced to stir it six, seven or eight times a day,

Synonyms for chit

Antonyms for chit

Related Words

Word Forms

• chits
• chitting
• chitted

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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