In early America, bit was used for some Spanish and Mexican coins that circulated and were worth about 12 and one-half cents. Hence, two bits would have equaled about 25 cents.
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Six-bits is commonly understood in the United States of America to be 3 quarters or about 75 cents. The word “bit” a colloquial expression long meant, in England, any coin of a low denomination. In early America, “bit” was used for some Spanish and Mexican coins that circulated and were worth one-eighth of a peso, or about 12 and one-half cents.
So, in the U.S., two bits has routinely equaled about 25 cents, and four bits has typically been considered to be about 50 cents. In sequence, it therefore means that 75 cents is six-bits and eight-bits is a dollar.
More Info: en.wikipedia.org
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plural in form but singular or plural in construction
Definition of two bits
1 : the value of a quarter of a dollar
2 : something of small worth or importance
First Known Use of two bits
1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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“Two bits.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, //www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two%20bits. Accessed 21 Oct. 2022.
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two bits
noun singular or plural
Kids Definition of two bits
: the value of a quarter of a dollar
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
\ ˈtü-ˈbit \
Definition of two-bit
1 : cheap or trivial of its kind : petty, small-time a two-bit chiseler
2 : of the value of two bits
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The money-related definition of two-bit makes its etymology obvious: it is derived from the noun phrase two bits. However, two bits is an interesting phrase because it actually means "the value of a quarter of a dollar." There is no such thing as a single bit, at least not anymore. The now-obsolete Spanish dollar (also known as a peso or piece of eight) was composed of eight reales, or eight bits, so a quarter of the dollar equaled two bits. The phrase two bits carried over into U.S. usage. It first appeared in print in English in the early 1700s (and later developed the figurative sense of "something of small worth or importance"), and was followed by its adjectival relative sometime around the beginning of the 19th century. These days, the adjective has far surpassed the noun in popularity.
First Known Use of two-bit
1802, in the meaning defined at sense 2
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“Two-bit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, //www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two-bit. Accessed 21 Oct. 2022.
More Definitions for two-bit
Kids Definition of two-bit
: not important or valuable
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Merriam-Webster unabridged