iota

plural iotas

1. The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ι, ι).

   There are twelve iotas on that page.

   2 more examples

   As a Greek numeral, iota represents ten.

   Human ill-nature needs but some Homoiousian iota, or even the pretence of one; and will flow copiously through the eye of a needle: thus always must mortals go jargoning and fuming […].

   1837, Thomas Carlyle, chapter III, in The French Revolution: A History […], volume II (The Constitution), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, book IV (Varennes)

2. The Latin letter Ɩ (minuscule: ɩ).
3. A jot; a very small, insignificant quantity.

   [E]very iota of its gravitic power.

   1982, John Cleve, Spaceways #7: The Manhuntress, page xviii. 194

   3 more examples

   They never depart an iota from the authentic formulas of tyranny and usurpation.

   1790 November, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC

   His expression had not changed one iota except perhaps for an additional tightening of his lips.

   1966, James Workman, The Mad Emperor, Melbourne, Sydney: Scripts, page 99

   It was because Sanchez didn't have an iota of faith in what he was saying.

   2019 August 26, qntm, “Unthreaded”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 02 Jan 2024

   Synonyms: ace, atom, thought, atomy, aught, bissel, continental, bit

plural IOTAs

1. businessA bank account that earns interest and pays it to a third party, generally a charity; the principal is typically being held in escrow by the accountholder.