nit

See also: Appendix:Variations of "nit"

Translingual

Symbol

nit

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Southeastern Kolami.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Southeastern Kolami terms

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɪt/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪt
• Homophone: knit

Etymology 1

From Middle English nite, from Old English hnitu, from Proto-Germanic *hnits (compare Dutch neet, German Nisse, Norwegian nit), from Proto-Indo-European *-níd- (compare Scottish Gaelic sneadh, Lithuanian gli̇̀nda, Polish gnida, Albanian thëri, Ancient Greek κονίς (konís)).

Noun

nit (plural nits)

1. The egg of a louse.
2. A young louse.
3. (UK, Ireland, slang) A head louse regardless of its age.
4. (UK, slang) A fool, a nitwit.
5. A minor shortcoming; the object of a nitpick.
6. A nitpicker.

Synonyms

• dickies (Geordie)

Derived terms

• nit comb
• nitgrass
• nit-keeper
• nit nurse
• nitpicker
• nit-picking
• nitpicking
• nitpicky
• nitter

Translations

egg of a louse

• Aklanon: eusa'
• Albanian: thëri f pl
• Arabic: صُغْبَة f (ṣuḡba)
• Archi: натӏ (natʼ)
• Armenian: անիծ (hy) (anic)
• Asturian: llendre (ast) f, lléndena (ast) f
• Azerbaijani: sirkə (az)
• Bashkir: һеркә (herkə)
• Basque: bartz
• Bats: ხიჼჭ (xĩč̣)
• Belarusian: гні́да f (hnída)
• Bhojpuri: लीख (līkh)
• Bikol Central: lusa (bcl)
• Bulgarian: гни́да f (gnída)
• Catalan: llémena f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 蟣子 / 虮子 (zh) (jǐzi)

• Chuvash: шӑрка (šărk̬a)
• Czech: hnida (cs) f
• Danish: gnid, luseæg (da) n
• Dutch: neet (nl) f
• Esperanto: pedikovo
• Estonian: täimuna, saere, ting (et)
• Faroese: nitra f
• Fijian: lise
• Finnish: saivare (fi), saivar (fi)
• French: lente (fr) f
• Friulian: glendon m
• Galician: lendia (gl) f
• Georgian: ტილის კვერცხი (ṭilis ḳvercxi)
• German: Nisse (de) f
• Greek: κονίδα f (konída)

  Ancient Greek: κονίς f (konís)

• Hawaiian: liha
• Hebrew: ביצת כינה f (betsát kiná)
• Hungarian: serke (hu)
• Icelandic: nit f
• Ilocano: lisa
• Indonesian: telur kutu
• Ingrian: saivar
• Irish: sniodh f
• Italian: lendine m
• Japanese: 寄生虫の卵 (きせいちゅうのたまご, kiseichū no tamago)
• Karao: ilit
• Khmer: អំបាត (km) (ʼɑmbaat)
• Korean: 서캐 (ko) (seokae)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ڕِشک (rişk)

  Laki: ڕِشک (rişk)

  Northern Kurdish: rişk (ku)

  Southern Kurdish: ڕِشک (rişk)

• Lao: please add this translation if you can
• Latin: lēns f
• Laz: მჭკირი (mç̌ǩiri)
• Limos Kalinga: ilit
• Lithuanian: glinda
• Low German: Neet f
• Lubuagan Kalinga: ilit
• Macedonian: гни́да f (gnída)
• Malay: please add this translation if you can
• Mansaka: lisa
• Maori: riha, rihariha
• Mariupol Greek: куны́дъ (kunýð)
• Mi'kmaq: gna'ji'j anim
• Mingrelian: ჭკირი (č̣ḳiri)
• Nivkh: ӿискр̌ (hiskř) (East Sakhalin)
• Norwegian: gnett

  Nynorsk: gnet f, gnett f, luseegg n

• Occitan: lende (oc)
• Ottoman Turkish: سركه (sirke), یاوشاق (yavşak)
• Paicî: nîda
• Persian: رشک (fa) (rešk)
• Polish: gnida (pl) f
• Portuguese: lêndea (pt) f
• Punjabi: ਨਿਤ n (nit)
• Quechua: ciya, iski
• Romanian: lindină (ro) f
• Russian: гни́да (ru) f (gnída)
• Sakizaya: licaes
• Scots: neet
• Scottish Gaelic: sneadh f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: гњи̏да f

  Roman: gnjȉda (sh) f

• Sicilian: lìnnina (scn) f, dìndina (scn) f, ddìnina (scn) f
• Slovak: hnida (sk) f
• Slovene: gnjida f
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: gnida f

• Spanish: liendre (es) f
• Svan: თიკ (tiḳ)
• Swahili: please add this translation if you can
• Swedish: gnet (sv) c
• Tabasaran: нитӏ (niṭ)
• Tagalog: lisa
• Tamil: ஈர் (ta) (īr)
• Thai: เล็น (th) (len)
• Thao: riknish
• Tok Pisin: kiau bilong laus
• Turkish: sirke (tr)
• Ukrainian: гни́да f (hnýda)
• Uyghur: دۆت (döt), كالۋا (ug) (kalwa)
• Venetan: léndena (vec) f, géndena f
• Vietnamese: trứng chấy, trứng rận
• Welsh: nedd f pl
• Yup'ik: ingqiq

young louse

• Bikol Central: kuyumad
• Dutch: neet (nl) f
• Esperanto: pediklarvo
• Estonian: täivastne (common standard), nümf (Pthirus pubis), pusake (regional), kihu (dialectal), ting (et)
• Georgian: წილი (c̣ili)
• Malay: please add this translation if you can
• Mi'kmaq: gna'ji'j anim
• Ottoman Turkish: سركه (sirke), یاوشاق (yavşak)
• Tamil: நமுடு (ta) (namuṭu)
• Tok Pisin: pikinini bilong laus
• Turkish: yavşak (tr)

slang: fool, nitwit

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 傻瓜 (zh) (shǎguā), 笨蛋 (zh) (bèndàn)

• Danish: fjols n, kvaj n
• Finnish: dille (fi)
• Georgian: სულელი (suleli), ტუტუცი (ṭuṭuci)
• Russian: деби́л (ru) m (debíl)

Verb

nit (third-person singular simple present nits, present participle nitting, simple past and past participle nitted)

1. (MLE) To have the modus vivendi of a drug addict, to live the life of a nitty.
   • 2018, “Rolling Round”, HL8 and SimpzBeatz (music), performed by Sparko of OMH:

     Can’t miss no dots
     Every shot let caused I’m hittin
     Used to bag it up in the toilet
     My mumsie thought I was shittin
     Ever seen a junky fittin?
     Ever stepped in a room full of needles?
     No I ain’t doin no nittin

Etymology 2

From Latin nitēre (“to shine”).

Noun

nit (plural nits)

2. A candela per square metre.

   This brightness of this LCD screen is between 900 and 1000 nits.

Etymology 3

Noun

nit (plural nits)

1. Synonym of nat (“logarithmic unit of information”).

Etymology 4

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

nit (plural nits)

1. (poker) A player with an overly cautious and reactive playing style.

Related terms

• nitty

See also

• nit-noid (etymologically unrelated)

Anagrams

• INT, ITN, TIN, i'n't, in't, int, int., tin

Catalan

Alternative forms

• nuit (archaic)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts

Proto-Italic *nokts

Latin nox

Old Catalan nuyt

Catalan nit

Inherited from Old Catalan nuyt, from Latin nox, from Proto-Italic *nokts, from Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈnit]

• Audio (Catalonia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -it

Noun

nit f (plural nits)

1. night

   Antonyms: dia, jorn

   durant la nit ― during the night

Derived terms

• buena nueit
• fer-se de nit
• nueit de Nadal

Related terms

• anit
• mitjanit

References

• “nit”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “nit”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “nit” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “nit” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Central Mahuatlán Zapoteco

Noun

nit

1. water

References

• Basic Vocabulary, pages 7-8

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech nit, from Proto-Slavic *nitь, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *nī́ˀtis, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₁-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɲɪt] (informally pronounced /ˈɲɪc/)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: nit
• Rhymes: -ɪt

Noun

nit f

1. thread

Declension

Declension of nit (mixed i-stem [type 'žluč'] feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	nit	niti, nitě
genitive	niti, nitě	nití
dative	niti	nitím
accusative	nit	niti, nitě
vocative	niti	niti, nitě
locative	niti	nitích
instrumental	nití	nitěmi

Derived terms

nouns

• nitečka
• nitka

Further reading

• “nit”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “nit”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “nit”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Icelandic

Alternative forms

• gnit

Etymology

From Old Norse gnit, from Proto-Germanic *hnits.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɪːt/
• Rhymes: -ɪːt
• Homophone: nyt

Noun

nit f (genitive singular nitar, no plural)

1. nit (egg of a louse)

Declension

Declension of nit (sg-only feminine)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	nit	nitin
accusative	nit	nitina
dative	nit	nitinni
genitive	nitar	nitarinnar

Middle High German

Etymology

Inherited from Old High German nīd.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (before 13^th CE) /ˈniːt/

Noun

nīt m

1. hate
2. hostility
   • 13th c., Neidhart von Reuental, Meienzīt:

     Meienzīt: Āne nīt,
     vrouden gīt wider strīt,
     sīn widerkommen kan uns allen hëlfen!

     The time of may: Without any hostility,
     It gives us joy, ending every quarrel.
     Its return can help all of us!

3. envy
4. malice

Declension

Declension of nīt (strong masculine without umlaut)

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	dër	nīt	die	nīde
genitive	eines	dës	nīdes	dër	nīde
dative	eime	dëm	nīde	dën	nīden
accusative	einen	dën	nīt	die	nīde

Descendants

• German: Neid
• Luxembourgish: Näid

References

• Benecke, Georg Friedrich; Müller, Wilhelm; Zarncke, Friedrich (1863), “nît”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /niːt/

Etymology 1

From the verb nite.

Noun

nit n (definite singular nitet, indefinite plural nit, definite plural nita)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Etymology 2

Noun

nit m (definite singular niten, indefinite plural nitar, definite plural nitane)

1. a nail, usually iron

Derived terms

• nite

References

• “nit” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• “nit”, in Norsk Ordbok: ordbok over det norske folkemålet og det nynorske skriftmålet, Oslo: Samlaget, 1950-2016
• “nit”, in Norsk teknisk ordbok (in Norwegian Nynorsk), 2nd edition, Oslo: Samlaget, 1984, page 530

Anagrams

• tin

Old Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *nitь, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *nī́ˀtis, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₁-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈɲit/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈɲit/

Noun

nit f

1. thread

Declension

Declension of nit (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	nit	niti	niti
genitive	niti	niťú	nití
dative	niti	nitma	nitem
accusative	nit	niti	niti
vocative	niti	niti	niti
locative	niti	niťú	nitech
instrumental	niťú	nitma	nitmi

This table shows the most common forms around the 13th century.

Descendants

• Czech: nit

Further reading

• Jan Gebauer (1903–1916), “nit”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění

Ozolotepec Zapotec

Noun

nit

1. water

References

• Basic Vocabulary, pages 7-8

Polish

nity

Etymology

Borrowed from German Niet, from Middle High German nieten, from Old High German hniotan, from Proto-West Germanic *hneudan, from Proto-Germanic *hneudaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɲit/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -it
• Syllabification: nit

Noun

nit m inan

1. rivet (mechanical fastener)

Declension

Declension of nit

	singular	plural
nominative	nit	nity
genitive	nitu	nitów
dative	nitowi	nitom
accusative	nit	nity
instrumental	nitem	nitami
locative	nicie	nitach
vocative	nicie	nity

Further reading

• nit in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• nit in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from German Niet.

Noun

nit n (plural nituri)

1. rivet

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	nit	nitul		nituri	niturile
genitive-dative	nit	nitului		nituri	niturilor
vocative	nitule			niturilor

San Baltazar Loxicha Zapotec

Noun

nit

1. water

References

• Basic Vocabulary, pages 7-8

Saterland Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian [Term?]. Cognates include West Frisian net, Dutch niet and German nicht.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɪt/
• Hyphenation: nit
• Rhymes: -ɪt

Adverb

nit

1. not
   • 2000, Marron C. Fort, transl., Dät Näie Tästamänt un do Psoolme in ju aasterlauwerfräiske Uurtoal fon dät Seelterlound, Fräislound, Butjoarlound, Aastfräislound un do Groninger Umelounde [The New Testament and the Psalms in the East Frisian language, native to Saterland, Friesland, Butjadingen, East Frisia and the Ommelanden of Groningen], →ISBN, Dät Evangelium ätter Matthäus 1:20:

     Wilst hie noch deeruur ättertoachte, ferskeen him n Ängel fon dän Here in n Droom un kwaad: Josef, Súun fon David, freze die nit, Maria as dien Wieuw bie die aptouníemen;

     While he was still thinking about it, came to him an angel from the Lord in a dream and said: Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Maria as your wife;

References

• Marron C. Fort (2015), “nit”, in Saterfriesisches Wörterbuch mit einer phonologischen und grammatischen Übersicht, Buske, →ISBN

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *nitь, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *nī́ˀtis, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₁-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nîːt/

Noun

nȋt f (Cyrillic spelling ни̑т)

1. thread

Declension

Declension of nit

	singular	plural
nominative	nȋt	niti
genitive	niti	niti
dative	niti	nitima
accusative	nit	niti
vocative	niti	niti
locative	niti	nitima
instrumental	niću	nitima

References

• “nit”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

Slovene

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *nitь, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *nī́ˀtis, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₁-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nít/

Noun

nȉt f

1. thread

Declension

The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.

Feminine, i-stem
nom. sing.	nit
gen. sing.	niti
	singular	dual	plural
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	nit	niti	niti
genitive (rodȋlnik)	niti	niti	niti
dative (dajȃlnik)	niti	nitma	nitim
accusative (tožȋlnik)	nit	niti	niti
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	niti	nitih	nitih
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	nitjo	nitma	nitmi

Further reading

• “nit”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2025

Swedish

Etymology

Sense 1 from German Niet. Sense 2 from Middle Low German nit, from Old Saxon nith. Doublet of nid. Sense 3 from Dutch niet.

Noun

nit c or n

2. a rivet, a stud
4. (uncountable) zeal
6. synonym of nitlott (“a dud”)
7. synonym of tvärnit (“an instance of slamming on the brakes”)

Declension

Declension of nit 1, 3, 4 (c)

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	nit	nits
	definite	niten	nitens
plural	indefinite	nitar	nitars
	definite	nitarna	nitarnas

Declension of nit 2 (n)

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	nit	nits
	definite	nitet	nitets
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

Derived terms

• gå på en nit
• nita
• nitförband
• nitisk
• nitlott
• nitälskan
• tvärnit
• världsförbättrarnit

References

• nit in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker

Anagrams

• int, tin

Volapük

Noun

nit (nominative plural nits)

1. staple
2. staple for office stapler

Declension

Declension of nit

	singular	plural
nominative	nit	nits
genitive	nita	nitas
dative	nite	nites
accusative	niti	nitis
vocative 1	o nit!	o nits!
predicative 2	nitu	nitus

¹ status as a case is disputed
² in later, non-classical Volapük only

Wolof

Noun

nit (definite form nit ki)

1. person

Zipser German

Alternative forms

• nëch (Slovakia)

Adverb

nit

1. (Romania, including Wassertal) not

References

• Claus Stephani, Zipser Mära und Kasska (1989)
• Anton-Joseph Ilk, Zipser Volksgut aus dem Wassertal (1990)