noun

nit

niht

Nit (noun) means the tiny egg of a louse, or the young louse itself, often found stuck to hair. Example: “The school nurse checked every child's scalp for nits.”

noun

The tiny egg of a louse, or the young louse itself, often found stuck to hair.

"The school nurse checked every child's scalp for nits."

"Nit combs have very fine teeth designed to pull the eggs out of hair."

A minor flaw or trivial detail, especially one raised in overly picky criticism.

"He picked a few nits with the report but had no major objections."

"Sorry to nit-pick, but there's a typo on page two."

In poker slang, a player with an extremely cautious, low-risk style.

"He folds almost every hand unless it's a lock — a total nit."

How to use nit

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMost often the tiny egg of a louse, but casually it also means a small, nitpicky flaw.

Common mistake

Don't confuse "nit" with "knit" (to weave yarn) — they sound alike but are unrelated.

Common pairings

nits and lice pick nits nitpick

Word forms

nitted past tense, nits plural, nits plural, nits plural, nits plural, nits singular

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The school nurse checked every child's scalp for _____.

Etymology

From Old English hnitu, a very old Germanic word for a louse egg, tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root also seen in Ancient Greek konis.

Origin: Ancient Greek

Synonyms

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dickies

Rhymes for nit

knit

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Frequently asked questions

What does “nit” mean?

The word “nit” means the tiny egg of a louse, or the young louse itself, often found stuck to hair. In plain terms, most often the tiny egg of a louse, but casually it also means a small, nitpicky flaw.

How do you pronounce “nit”?

“Nit” is pronounced niht (/nɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “nit” in a sentence?

Here is “nit” used in a sentence: “The school nurse checked every child's scalp for nits.”

What is another word for “nit”?

Words with a similar meaning to “nit” include dickies.

What part of speech is “nit”?

“Nit” is a noun.

Where does the word “nit” come from?

The word “nit” comes from Ancient Greek. From Old English hnitu, a very old Germanic word for a louse egg, tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root also seen in Ancient Greek konis.

How many meanings does “nit” have?

“Nit” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the tiny egg of a louse, or the young louse itself, often found stuck to hair.