bitts

B3I1T1T1S1

noun

A frame composed of two strong oak timbers (bitt-heads) fixed vertically in the fore part of a ship, bolted to the deck beams to which are secured the cables when the ship rides to anchor

OriginOld Norse biti ← Proto-Germanic *bitiz →
Scrabble 7
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Meanings

nounbitts pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlynauticalA frame composed of two strong oak timbers (bitt-heads) fixed vertically in the fore part of a ship, bolted to the deck beams to which are secured the cables when the ship rides to anchor

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*bitiz
  2. Old Norsebiti
  3. Englishbitts

From Middle English, probably of Low German or North Germanic origin, and the English form a corruption or contraction, from Old Norse biti, probably ultimately from a variant of Proto-Germanic *bitiz. Compare Swedish beting and Danish beding.

More words from Old Norse, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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