chit

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪt

Etymology 1

From Middle English chitte (“a young animal, cub, whelp”), from Old English *ċietten, from Proto-Germanic *kittīną (“young animal, fawn, kid”). Cognate with Scots chit (“chit”), Low German kitte (“young animal”), German Kitz (“fawn, kid”). See also kid.

Noun

chit (plural chits)

1. A child or babe; a young, small, or insignificant person or animal.
   • 1922, Translation of "Satyricon" made by W. C. Firebaugh

     "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?"

2. A pert young woman.
3. A sassy (saucy) or forward young person.
4. The embryonic growing bud of a plant; a shoot; a sprout; a seedling.
5. (obsolete) An excrescence on the body, as a wart.

Translations

a child or babe

• Russian: младенец (ru) (mladénec) m, ребёнок (ru) (rebjónok) m

a shoot, a sprout

• Russian: росток (ru) (rostók) m

Verb

chit (third-person singular simple present chits, present participle chitting, simple past and past participle chitted) (UK, dialect)

1. (intransitive) To sprout; to shoot, as a seed or plant.
   • Mortimer

     I have known barley chit in seven hours after it had been thrown forth.

2. (transitive) To damage the outer layers of a seed such as Lupinus or Sophora to assist germination.
3. (transitive) To initiate sprouting of tubers, such as potatoes, by placing them in special environment, before planting into the soil.
   • 2012, Growing Your Own Fruit and Veg For Dummies, UK Edition, page 173

     Gardeners argue among themselves about how necessary chitting is, but I do chit my seed potatoes.

Translations

to initiate sprouting (of tubers)

• Russian: проращивать (клубни) (proráščivatʼ (klúbni))

Etymology 2

From chitty from Hindi chitthi "letter", "note" from Sanskrit; from Hindi 'chit' – a small piece of paper or a note.

Noun

chit (plural chits)

1. (US and UK dated) A small sheet or scrap of paper with a hand-written note as a reminder or personal message.
2. (pharmacology) A small sheet of paper on which is written a prescription to be filled; a scrip.
3. (India, China) A signed voucher or memorandum of a small debt, as for food and drinks at a club.
   • 1901, Falk, by Joseph Conrad

     He just longed to get away from here and try his luck somewhere else, but for the sake of his sister he hung on and on till he ran himself into debt over his ears--I can tell you. I, myself, could show a handful of his chits for meals and drinks in my drawer.

4. (US, slang) A debt or favor owed in return for a prior loan or favor granted, especially a political favor.
   • 2007, New York Times, [1]

     And he is cashing in chits for her that Mr. Gore, post-impeachment, never asked him to do.

   • 2003, Linda Fairstein, The Bone Vault, Scribner, p98:

     Harry would call in a chit with some desk manager who owed him a favor.

Translations

scrap of paper with a hand-written note

• Russian: записка (ru) (zapíska) f

voucher of small debt

• Russian: долговая расписка (dolgovája raspíska) f

Etymology 3

Noun

chit (plural chits)

1. A small tool used in cleaving laths. Compare: froe.

Etymology 4

Euphemistic variation of shit

Noun

chit (uncountable)

1. (US, slang, euphemistic) Alternative to using the vulgarity, shit.

Interjection

chit

1. (US, slang, euphemistic) Alternative to using the vulgarity, shit.

References

• chit in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “chit” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).
• Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967

Anagrams

• itch
• tich