▪ I. jot, n.1
(dʒɒt)
Forms: α. 6–7 iote, (6 ioate, Sc. ioyt, ioit), 7 jote; β. 6–7 iot, (6 iott(e, 7 jott), 7– jot.
[ad. L. iōta (read as jōta, cf. Sp. jota, Ger. jota and jot, jodt, jott), a. Gr. ἰῶτα name of the letter I, ι, the smallest in the alphabet; see iota, and cf. jod. The 16th c. iote is shown by the metrical quots. to have been monosyllabic, i.e. = jōte.]
The least letter or written part of any writing; hence, generally, the very least or a very little part, point, or amount; a whit. Often in the phrase jot or tittle: see quot. 1526. (Usually with negative expressed or implied.)
| 1526 Tindale Matt. v. 18 One iott or one tytle [Wyclif oon. i. or titil] of the lawe shall not scape. 1538 Bale God's Promises iii. in Dodsley O. Pl. I, I wyll not one iote, Lorde, from thy wyll dyssent. 1540–54 Croke Ps., etc (Percy Soc.) 48 There shall remayne of theym no iote. 1563 Homilies ii. Good Works 1, Not giltie of transgressing any iot of Gods law. 1570 B. Googe Pop. Kingd. ii. 19 b, And Ioseph ruled Egypt well, obseruing euery iotte Of Moyses lawe, and chastly kept his minde from any spotte. a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. 1846 I. 107 Yf, in any joyt, he sufferred the authoritie of the Pape to be violated. 1579 Fenton Guicciard. xii. (1599) 578 Not breaking one ioate of their order. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iv. i. 306 This bond doth giue thee heere no iot of bloud. 1652 Row Lett. 27 May in Hist. Kirk App. iii. (Wodrow Soc.) 545 Befor I brake my word in a jote to you. 1657 Thornley tr. Longus' Daphnis & Chloe 200, I swear I will not lie a jott. 1768 H. Walpole Hist. Doubts 31 The Solomon that succeeded him was not a jot less a tyrant. 1868 G. Duff Pol. Surv. 80 He seems never to have..abated one jot of his claim. |
▪ II. † jot, n.2 Obs. rare—1.
[f. jot v.1]
A jolt.
| 1647 H. More Song of Soul i. ii. xxxix, Frequent jot Of his hard setting jade. |
▪ III. † jot, n.3 Obs. rare.
[Origin and meaning obscure: cf. jolthead and joppe.]
? A person of small intelligence, or of low condition.
| 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. xi. 301 Souteris and seweris suche lewide iottis [v.r. iuttis] Percen wiþ a pater noster þe paleis of heuene. [So B. x. 460 iottes, iuttes.] |
▪ IV. jot, v.1 Obs. exc. dial.
[app. onomatopœic: cf. jog, jopper. The final t naturally expresses sudden interruption of action. For relation to jolt, see that vb.]
To jog, jolt, bump. a. trans. b. intr. (The first quot. is doubtful.)
| [a 1425 Langl.'s P. Pl. A. ii. 157 (MS. Trin. Coll. Camb. R. 3. 14) Fabulers and Faytours as Folis iotten [v.r. Þat on Fote rennen].] 1530 Palsgr. 593/1, I iotte, I touche one thynge agaynst another..What nedest thou to iotte me with thyne elbowe? 1556 J. Heywood Spider & F. xxiv. 45 Nowe is iuste iustice, so iotted out of iointe. c 1611 Chapman Iliad xvi. 360 Numbers beneath their axle-trees..Made th' after chariots jot and jump in driving over them. 1643 Horn & Rob. Gate Lang. Unl. xlii. §453 A trotter jotteth [marg. shaketh] the rider. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Jot, Jotter, to jolt roughly. |
▪ V. jot, v.2
[app. f. jot n.1: the original sense being prob. to make the smallest mark with pen or pencil. Cf. dot v.1 4. App. orig. Scotch, and in English familiarized by Scott and writers in Blackwood.]
trans. To write down in the briefest and most hasty form, to make a short note or jotting of. Usually to jot down; the simple vb. is rare.
| 1721 Ramsay Addr. Thanks xi, What will they have to crack about, Or jot into their journal? 1818 Todd, Jot, to set down; to make a memorandum of. Modern. 1822 Galt Provost xxxv. 254 Many of the things that I have herein jotted down. 1827 Scott Jrnl. 12 Feb., I have jotted down his evidence elsewhere. 1827 [see jotter]. 1832 G. Downes Lett. Cont. Countries I. xi. 165 Rude sketches of trees, rocks, and other materials of future pictures. These were evidently jotted down during his rambles. 1841 D'Israeli Amen. Lit. (1867) 581 He must have jotted down a mass. 1871 Waddell Ps. lxxvii. 6 The Lord he sal count whan he jots the folk that siclike was born tharin. 1890 Gross Gild Merch. II. 241 Accounts..too roughly jotted down to be very intelligible. |
Hence ˈjotty a., of the nature of jottings or fragmentary notes.
| 1844 H. Taylor Let. in Autobiog. (1885) II. ii. 10 Reading Alice's jotty journal. 1888 G. J. Holyoake in Co-operative News 8 Sept. 9/1 The narrative is dreadfully jotty, jerky and confused. |
▪ VI. jot, v.3
var. or error for jet v.1, to strut.
| c 1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) iv. 81 Moir gentrice is to jott vndir ane silkin goun, Nor ane quhyt pittecott, and reddyar ay boun. |