Bit vs. Piece — What's the Difference?

The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a contraction of binary digit.

A portion of an object or of material, produced by cutting, tearing, or breaking the whole

A small piece, part, or quantity of something

A written, musical, or artistic creation

A set of actions or ideas associated with a specific group or activity

An instance or example

A girl or young woman

A coin of specified value

A person's genitals

A figure or token used to make moves in a board game

A unit of 12 1/2 cents (used only in even multiples).

A firearm.

A mouthpiece, typically made of metal, which is attached to a bridle and used to control a horse.

A woman.

A tool or piece for boring or drilling

A sandwich or other item of food taken as a snack.

A unit of information expressed as either a 0 or 1 in binary notation.

Assemble something from parts or pieces

Put a bit into the mouth of (a horse).

Extend something

A small portion, degree, or amount

Patch (something)

A brief amount of time; a moment

A thing considered as a unit or an element of a larger thing, quantity, or class; a portion

A short scene or episode in a theatrical performance.

A portion or part that has been separated from a whole

A bit part.

An object that is one member of a group or class

An entertainment routine given regularly by a performer; an act.

An artistic, musical, or literary work or composition

A particular kind of action, situation, or behavior

An instance; a specimen

A matter being considered

What one has to say about something; an opinion

(Informal) An amount equal to one eighth of a dollar

A coin

Chiefly British A small coin

One of the counters or figures used in playing various board games.

The sharp part of a tool, such as the cutting edge of a knife or axe.

Any one of the chess figures other than a pawn.

A pointed and threaded tool for drilling and boring that is secured in a brace, bitstock, or drill press.

(Slang) A firearm, especially a rifle.

The part of a key that enters the lock and engages the bolt and tumblers.

(Informal) A given distance

The tip of the mouthpiece on a pipe or a cigarette or cigar holder.

To mend by adding pieces or a piece to

The metal mouthpiece of a bridle, serving to control, curb, and direct an animal.

To join or unite the pieces of

Something that controls, guides, or curbs.

A part of a larger whole, usually in such a form that it is able to be separated from other parts.

A binary digit, having either the value 0 or 1, used to store or represent data.

A single item belonging to a class of similar items.

To place a bit in the mouth of (a horse, for example).

(chess) One of the figures used in playing chess, specifically a higher-value figure as distinguished from a pawn; by extension, a similar counter etc. in other games.

To check or control with or as if with a bit.

A coin, especially one valued at less than the principal unit of currency.

To make or grind a bit on (a key).

An artistic creation, such as a painting, sculpture, musical composition, literary work, etc.

Past tense and a past participle of bite.

An article published in the press.

A piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and connected to the reins to direct the animal.

(military) An artillery gun.

A rotary cutting tool fitted to a drill, used to bore holes.

A gun.

A coin of a specified value.

A toupee or wig, especially when worn by a man.

A ten-cent piece, dime.

A slice or other quantity of bread, eaten on its own; a sandwich or light snack.

A unit of currency or coin in the Americas worth a fraction of a Spanish dollar; now specifically, an eighth of a US dollar.

A sexual encounter; from piece of ass or piece of tail.

In the southern and southwestern states, a small silver coin (such as the real) formerly current; commonly, one worth about 12½ cents; also, the sum of 12½ cents.

A shoddy or worthless object usually applied to consumer products like vehicles or appliances.

A small amount of something.

A cannabis pipe.

(informal) Specifically, a small amount of time.

Used to describe a pitch that has been hit but not well, usually either being caught by the opposing team or going foul. Usually used in the past tense with get.

Fractions of a second.

An individual; a person.

A portion of something.

(obsolete) A castle; a fortified building.

Somewhat; something, but not very great; also used like jot and whit to express the smallest degree. See also a bit.

(US) A pacifier; a dummy.

(slang) A prison sentence, especially a short one.

(colloquial) A distance.

An excerpt of material making up part of a show, comedy routine, etc.

(rowing) A structured practice row, often used for performance evaluation.

The part of a key which enters the lock and acts upon the bolt and tumblers.

An amount of work to be done at one time; a unit of piece work.

The cutting iron of a plane.

(slang) An ounce of a recreational drug.

The bevelled front edge of an axehead along which the cutting edge runs.

To assemble (something real or figurative).

(BDSM) A gag of a style similar to a bridle.

To make, enlarge, or repair, by the addition of a piece or pieces; to patch; often with out.

(MLE) A gun.

(slang) To produce a work of graffiti more complex than a tag.

A binary digit, generally represented as a 1 or 0.

A fragment or part of anything separated from the whole, in any manner, as by cutting, splitting, breaking, or tearing; a part; a portion; as, a piece of sugar; to break in pieces.

(computing) The smallest unit of storage in a digital computer, consisting of a binary digit.

A definite portion or quantity, as of goods or work; as, a piece of broadcloth; a piece of wall paper.

Any datum that may take on one of exactly two values.

Any one thing conceived of as apart from other things of the same kind; an individual article; a distinct single effort of a series; a definite performance

(information theory) A unit of measure for information entropy.

An individual; - applied to a person as being of a certain nature or quality; often, but not always, used slightingly or in contempt.

A microbitcoin, or a millionth of a bitcoin (0.000001 BTC).

One of the superior men, distinguished from a pawn.

(transitive) To put a bridle upon; to put the bit in the mouth of (a horse).

A castle; a fortified building.

Inflection of bite, bitten

To make, enlarge, or repair, by the addition of a piece or pieces; to patch; as, to piece a garment; - often with out.

Having been bitten.

To unite; to join; to combine.

The part of a bridle, usually of iron, which is inserted in the mouth of a horse, and having appendages to which the reins are fastened.

To unite by a coalescence of parts; to fit together; to join.

Fig.: Anything which curbs or restrains.

A separate part of a whole;

In the British West Indies, a fourpenny piece, or groat.

An item that is an instance of some type;

A part of anything, such as may be bitten off or taken into the mouth; a morsel; a bite. Hence: A small piece of anything; a little; a mite.

A portion of a natural object;

Somewhat; something, but not very great.

A musical work that has been created;

A tool for boring, of various forms and sizes, usually turned by means of a brace or bitstock. See Bitstock.

An instance of some kind;

The part of a key which enters the lock and acts upon the bolt and tumblers.

An artistic or literary composition;

The cutting iron of a plane.

A portable gun;

In the Southern and Southwestern States, a small silver coin (as the real) formerly current; commonly, one worth about 12 1/2 cents; also, the sum of 12 1/2 cents.

A serving that has been cut from a larger portion;

To put a bridle upon; to put the bit in the mouth of.

A distance;

The smallest unit of information, equivalent to a choice between two alternatives, as yes or no; on or off.

A work of art of some artistic value;

The physical representation of a bit of information in a computer memory or a data storage medium. Within a computer circuit a bit may be represented by the state of a current or an electrical charge; in a magnetic storage medium it may be represented by the direction of magnetization; on a punched card or on paper tape it may be represented by the presence or absence of a hole at a particular point on the card or tape.

A period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition;

A small quantity;

A share of something;

A small fragment of something broken off from the whole;

Game equipment consisting of an object used in playing certain board games;

An indefinitely short time;

To join or unite the pieces of;

An instance of some kind;

Make by putting pieces together;

Piece of metal held in horse's mouth by reins and used to control the horse while riding;

Join during spinning;

A unit of measurement of information (from Binary + digIT); the amount of information in a system having two equiprobable states;

Eat intermittently; take small bites of;

A small amount of solid food; a mouthful;

Repair by adding pieces;

A small fragment;

A short theatrical performance that is part of a longer program;

The cutting part of a drill; usually pointed and threaded and is replaceable in a brace or bitstock or drill press;