doit

plural doits

1. historicalA small Dutch coin, equivalent to one-eighth of a stiver.

   '"You got a lot of gold off Mr. Beauclerc," says Glascock. '"Not a doit more than I wanted," says he, laughing again. "And who, pray, had a better right—did not I murder him?"

   1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard

   1 more example

   Soon after I arrived here the Dutch Government introduced a new copper coinage of cents instead of doits (the 100th instead of the 120th part of a guilder), and all the old coins were ordered to be sent to Ternate to be changed. I sent a bag containing 6,000 doits, and duly received the new money by return of the boat.

   1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., page 45

2. archaicA small amount; a bit, a jot.

   […] when they will not giue a doit to relieue a lame Begger, they will lay out ten to ſee a dead Indian: […]

   1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 9

   2 more examples

   “Speak out, ye Saxon dogs — what bid ye for your worthless lives? — How say you, you of Rotherwood?” “Not a doit I,” answered poor Wamba.

   1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC

   "As a matter of fact," explained the young man, "the present tenant is under our notice to leave." "Unsatisfactory, eh?" said Carrados encouragingly. "He's a corker," admitted the clerk, responding to the friendly tone. "Fifteen months and not a doit of rent have we had. That's why I should have liked——"

   1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados

3. entertainmentIn jazz music, a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically upwards.

   Jazz symbols include many contoured articulations and inflections, such as doits, fall-offs, and scoops.

   1995, Music & Computers, volume 1, numbers 2-4, page 57

present singular third person doits · participle present doiting · participle past doited · past doited

1. ScotlandrareTo stumble; to blunder.

   I trembled with astonishment; and on my return from the small window went doiting in amongst the weaver's looms, tillI entangled myself, and could not get out again without working great deray amongst the coarse linen threads that stood in warp from one end of the apartment unto the other.

   1824, James Hogg, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner