fit
Preserved but no longer current.
An Americanism denoting the preterite of the verb to fight. A Yankee once came upon the words nihil fit, and he immediately wrote off to the editor of the paper to which he subscribed to know "Who was Nihil, who he fit, what amount he fit for, and if he won."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “fit” mean?
An Americanism denoting the preterite of the verb to fight. A Yankee once came upon the words nihil fit, and he immediately wrote off to the editor of the paper to which he subscribed to know "Who was Nihil, who he fit, what amount he fit for, and if he won."
Is “fit” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.