rit

R1I1T1
/ˈɹɪt/

noun

A scratch, a score or a groove.

OriginMiddle English ritten ← Old English *rittan ← Proto-West Germanic *rittjan →
Less commonScrabble 3
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Meanings

rit1

nounrit (plural rits)

plural rits · alternative ritt · alternative ret

  1. Northern EnglandScotlandA scratch, a score or a groove.
verbrit (third-person singular simple present rits, present participle ritting, simple past and past participle ritted)

present singular third person rits · participle present ritting · participle past ritted · past ritted · alternative ritt · alternative ret

  1. Northern EnglandScotlandTo scratch or score.
  2. Northern EnglandScotlandTo tear, rip, rend.
  3. Northern EnglandScotlandTo slit.

rit2

adverbrit (not comparable)
  1. abbreviationnot comparableAbbreviation of ritardando.

RIT3

nounRIT (plural RITs)

plural RITs

  1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of rapid intervention team.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*wrid-néh₂-
  2. Proto-Germanic*ritjaną“to cut, scratch”
  3. Proto-West Germanic*rittjan
  4. Old English*rittan“to cut, score, slit, tear,”
  5. Middle Englishritten“to cut, score, slit, tear”
  6. Englishrit

From Middle English ritten (“to cut, score, slit, tear”), from Old English *rittan (“to cut, score, slit, tear,”) (compare Old High German rizzen), from Proto-West Germanic *rittjan, from Proto-Germanic *ritjaną (“to cut, scratch”), from Proto-Indo-European *wrid-néh₂-; see *hrītaną. Cognate with Middle Low German ritten (“to scratch”), German ritzen (“to scratch”). Compare with Proto-Slavic *rězati (“to cut, carve, engrave”)). See also rat.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with rit

getsubmitbitkithitfitpermitchocolatesplitsitcommitquitadmitpitlitmagnettransmitwitknitSchmidtPittbritspitwrit
All rhymes →

Anagrams

triTirIRT
Cite this entry
APA

rit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rit

MLA

“rit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rit. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rit,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rit.

Source: rit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.