tit in English: A rude word for a woman's breast, and, in Britain, a mild insult for someone behaving foolishly. In the rude sense it is nearly always plural, "tits", which also gives Britain the phrase "gone tits up", meaning gone badly wrong. It is also a small garden bird, and birdwatchers say it all day with no rudeness in it at all. Medium strength. Recognise it, do not use it. (noun)

Translation

A rude word for a woman's breast, and, in Britain, a mild insult for someone behaving foolishly. In the rude sense it is nearly always plural, "tits", which also gives Britain the phrase "gone tits up", meaning gone badly wrong. It is also a small garden bird, and birdwatchers say it all day with no rudeness in it at all. Medium strength. Recognise it, do not use it.

Word origin

Two separate old words that fell together: titmose, the small bird, and teat, the word for a nipple.

Origin: Old English
Root: titt

Examples

.

To feel "a right tit" is to feel foolish. British, and mild.

.

The insult means "stop being silly". It is not a cruel word.

landed feeder.

The bird. Nobody hears anything rude in this sentence.

Related words

bird

An animal with wings and feathers that can usually fly.

silly

Not sensible or serious; behaving in a foolish or funny way.

fool

A person who does silly things or who does not think before acting.

rude

Not kind or polite; speaking or acting in a way that upsets other people.

body

The whole physical part of a person or animal.

boob

A childish, jokey word for a woman's breast. Softer than "tit" and used far more lightly, but still not a word for work, and not a word for a doctor, who will say "breast". Recognise it, do not use it.

Add to review queue

Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.

Go to my review queue