WHIT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does whit mean? 

• WHIT (noun)
  The noun WHIT has 1 sense:

1. a tiny or scarcely detectable amount

  Familiarity information: WHIT used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WHIT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A tiny or scarcely detectable amount

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

iota; scintilla; shred; smidge; smidgen; smidgeon; smidgin; tittle; whit

Hypernyms ("whit" is a kind of...):

small indefinite amount; small indefinite quantity (an indefinite quantity that is below average size or magnitude)

 Context examples 

I put her cool hand to my hot forehead; "No, Die, not one whit."

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Martin thought for a while, then said: No, I really don't care for their approval, not a whit.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

She felt as if she had solid ground under her feet again, and when Mr. Bhaer paused, outtalked but not one whit convinced, Jo wanted to clap her hands and thank him.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Just before him Tom lay motionless upon the sward; but the murderer minded him not a whit, cleansing his blood-stained knife the while upon a wisp of grass.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Their knights and squires, lad, are every whit as good as ours, and I could pick out a score of those who ride behind Du Guesclin who would hold the lists with sharpened lances against the best men in the army of England.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Whether it was the purifying of the deadly atmosphere by the opening of the chapel door, or the relief which we experienced by finding ourselves in the open I know not; but most certainly the shadow of dread seemed to slip from us like a robe, and the occasion of our coming lost something of its grim significance, though we did not slacken a whit in our resolution.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

At first the thing was merry and pleasant enough; but when it had gone on a while, and there seemed to be no end of playing or dancing, they began to cry out, and beg him to leave off; but he stopped not a whit the more for their entreaties, till the judge not only gave him his life, but promised to return him the hundred florins.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

However, some plants have specialized in selfing (also called ‘autogamy’), that is to say, fertilizing themselves without the need of crossing whit another plant, explains Mohamed Abdelaziz Mohamed, professor from the UGR Department of Genetics and main author of this study.

(Some plants are capable of ‘rubbing’ themselves for hours in order to achieve self fertilization, University of Granada)

Clara was honest and quiet; but heavy, mindless, and unimpressible: not one whit to my taste.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Undoubtedly you are both excellent doctors, he said; but if you care a whit for the opinion of the patient, let him tell you that you are poor diagnosticians.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)