jot or tittle
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A tiny amount. The jot is i or iota, and the tittle, from Lat. titulus, is the mark, or dot over the i.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “jot or tittle” mean?
A tiny amount. The jot is i or iota, and the tittle, from Lat. titulus, is the mark, or dot over the i.
Is “jot or tittle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.