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tit

noun

  1. heraldic animal
L15750 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /tɪt/

noun

Etymology: Probably of North Germanic/Scandinavian origin; found earliest in titling and titmouse; compare Faroese títlingur, dialectal Norwegian titling (“small stockfish”).

  1. A chickadee; a small passerine bird of the genus Parus or the family Paridae, common in the Northern Hemisphere.
  2. Any of various other small passerine birds.
  3. A small horse; a nag.

    […] he was reſolved, for the time to come, to ride his tit with more ſobriety.

    Bob trotted gently by the side of the carriage. “Not a bad looking tit,” said St. Leger, as they went along.

  4. A young girl, later especially a minx, hussy.

    "What sort of a feringee is this?" said a lively little tit—"eh?"

    But I don't mind; she's a pretty little tit, and Dick has taught her to call me uncle.

  5. A morsel; a bit.

    Now if you can shew so neat a foot, ( shewing her shoe ) —Parlez moi de ça : —I suppose I was not noble enough for this squire; he must have a bit a blood, a tit of quality — but I shall be a countess soon, and a mighty good sort of countess I shall make.

    Being drunk , he remembers not a tit of life before the drink came well home. It is not that he sees the past mistily; he does not see at all. He lives then only in as much of the present as the word of his master for the time being[…]

verb

Etymology: Perhaps imitative of light tap. Compare earlier tip for tap (“blow for blow”), from tip + tap; compare also dialectal tint for tant.

  1. To strike lightly, tap, pat.

    Come tit me, come tat me, come throw a kiss at me—how is that?

  2. To taunt, to reproach.

    they would vpbraid me therewith calling me idle Drone; Titting and flouting at me, that I should offer to sit downe at boord with cleane hand.