Now arch. or literary. Also 5–6 whyt, 6 whytt(e, wyt, Sc. quhit, quheet, quheit, vheet, 6–7 whitte, 6–8 whitt, 7–8 wit. [Early mod.E. whyt, wyt, whit(t, app. an alteration of wight, wite, in any wight, no wight, little wight (see WIGHT sb.).]
1. A very small, or the least, portion or amount; a particle, jot, ‘bit.’ a. without negative: esp. in every whit = the whole.
c. 1520. Skelton, Magnyf., 127. What he sayth and she sayth to lay good ere, And tell to his sufferayne euery whyt.
1539. Bible (Great), 1 Sam. iii. 18. Samuel tolde him euery whitt, & hidd nothing from him.
c. 1590. J. Stewart, Poems (S.T.S.), II. 198. His maist prencelie Spreit,… vill appaise thy hoip in euerie quheit.
1665. Bunyan, Holy Citie (1669), 182. Thou must enter in by every whit of Christ, or thou shalt enter in by never a whit of him.
b. with negative expressed or implied: esp. in never a whit, not a whit, NO WHIT = none at all.
1480. Robt. Devyll (1798), 10. The devyll have the whyt that he was soreye therfore.
1528. Roy, Rede me (Arb.), 65. I trowe thou arte a syngynge man?… The devil of the whit that I can.
1530, etc. [see NO WHIT].
1533. J. Heywood, Johan, Tyb, & Syr Jhan, A j. Thynke ye that she wyll amende yet? Nay by our lady the deuyll spede whyt.
1538. Starkey, England, I. iii. (1878), 92. Some haue to much, some to lytyl, and some neuer a wyt.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 713. It can shew scarce any whit of the ancient state it had.
1631. [Mabbe], Celestina, xviii. 183. The divell awhit shall I be able to tell them.
1635. R. N., trans. Camden’s Hist. Eliz., III. 284. Having sacked the Towne, they found not a whit of gold.
1678. R. Barclay, Apol. Quakers, IV. § 2. 97. We do not ascribe any whit of Adam’s Guilt to Men.
1830. Tennyson, Owl, II. ii. Not a whit of thy tuwhoo, Thee to woo to thy tuwhit.
1870. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (ed. 2), I. App. B. 545. It was not their policy to destroy or to change one whit more than was absolutely necessary.
1874. C. E. Norton, Lett. to Ruskin, 10 Jan. No whit of faith in the good as good … has vanished from my soul.
2. Most commonly in phrases used adverbially: a. without negative: a whit = to a very small extent, a very little; any whit, one whit = to the least amount, in the least degree, at all; every († each) whit = to the full amount, completely, altogether, thoroughly, quite (in later use almost always with as in comparisons of equality).
1526. Tindale, John vii. 23. Disdayne ye at me: because I made a man every whit whoale on the saboth daye? Ibid., xiii. 10. He that is wesshed nedeth not but to wesshe his fete, but is clene every whit.
a. 1529. Skelton, E. Rummyng, 411. Elynour made the pryce For good ale eche whyt.
1555. in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), III. App. l. 161. Every Child … that can any whit speak.
1568. Hist. Jacob & Esau, II. iv. He eaten vp euery whit.
1574. Whitgift, Def. Aunsw., ii. 104. Master Zuinglius (who woulde haue beene lothe one whit to strengthen the Papistes).
1618. in Foster, Engl. Factories Ind. (1906), 49. Yf they be suffred but a whit longer, they will make claime to the whole Indies.
1672. Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.), Rehearsal, II. ii. I have written … whole cartload of things, every whit as good as this.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1766), I. 384. Every whit as wild and extravagant.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., xxiii. Were my situation one whit less perilous.
1869. Freeman, Norm. Conq., III. xii. 231. The narrative of this campaign … is every whit as puzzling.
1903. Zangwill, Grey Wig, etc. vi. 110. Mrs. Drabdump felt a whit uneasy.
b. with negative expressed or implied: never, not (etc.) a whit († awhit, a-whit), any whit, one whit; also no whit = not in the least, not at all.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cccxliv. 219 b/2. He loued hym nat one whyt the better.
1558. Warde, trans. Alexis’ Secr. (1568), 7. Leaue the water vpon the fournesse, without mouing it any whit.
1564. Brief Exam., ****iij. You helpe your selues neuer awhyt.
1567. Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 203. Be na quhit of thame agast.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. ii. § 6. Nor is the freedom of the wil of God any whit abated … by meanes of this.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., II. iv. 408. Falst. Art not thou horrible afraid?… Prin. Not a whit.
1607. Puritan, I. i. 33. Shee cryed nere a whitte at all.
1634. Milton, Comus, 774. Natures full blessings would be well dispenc’t…, And she no whit encomber’d with her store.
1642. D. Rogers, Naaman, 871. It never troubles you awhit!
1773. Cook’s Voy., II. ix. in Hawkesworth III. Not a whit behind them in cheerfulness and vivacity.
1775. Sheridan, Rivals, IV. iii. You don’t seem one whit the happier at this.
1809–10. Coleridge, Friend (1865), 175. He … is not a whit the better Christian for being a bad patriot.
1873. Symonds, Grk. Poets, v. 135. Grief will profit us no whit.
1893. Max Pemberton, Iron Pirate, ii. The novelty … did not surprise me one whit.
† 3. As a term of contempt or abuse. Obs. rare–1.
1610. B. Jonson, Alch., IV. vii. Then you are an Otter, and a Shad, a Whit, A very Tim.
