nibble

n 1: a small byte [syn: {nybble}]

2: gentle biting

v 1: bite off very small pieces; "She nibbled on her cracker"

2: eat intermittently; take small bites of; "He pieced at the

sandwich all morning"; "She never eats a full meal--she

just picks at the food" [syn: {pick}, {piece}]

3: eat lightly; "She just nibbles at her food" [syn: {munch}]

[ant: {gorge}]

nibble

/nib'l/ (US "nybble", by analogy with "bite" -> "byte")

Half a {byte}. Since a byte is nearly always eight {bits}, a

nibble is nearly always four bits (and can therefore be

represented by one {hex} digit).

Other size nibbles have existed, for example the {BBC

Microcomputer} disk file system used eleven bit sector numbers

which were described as one byte (eight bits) and a nibble

(three bits).

Compare {crumb}, {tayste}, {dynner}; see also {bit}, {nickle},

{deckle}.

The spelling "nybble" is uncommon in {Commonwealth Hackish} as

British orthography suggests the pronunciation /ni:'bl/.

(1997-12-03)