doit
(dɔɪt)
Also 7 doite, doyt.
[a. early mod.Du. duit (in MDu. also duyt, deuyt, doyt, deyt), whence also Ger. deut. Of uncertain derivation. Kluge and Franck identify it with Norse þveit piece cut off, small piece of land, a unit of weight, a small coin, f. þv{iacu}ta to cut.]
1. A small Dutch coin formerly in use, the eighth part of a stiver, or the half of an English farthing; hence (chiefly in negative phrases) as the type of a very small or trifling sum. (Cf. denier3.)
Also called doitkin or dodkin (q.v.); it had illegal currency in England in the 15th c. It was prob. originally of silver, and afterwards of base silver; finally it was of copper.
| 1594 Nashe Unfort. Trav. 5 The pore man might haue his moderate draught..for his doit or his dandiprat. 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. ii. 33 They will not giue a doit to relieue a lame Begger. 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Wks. Aa iij a/1 (Stanf.) They are monstrous thriuers, Not like the Dutchmen in base Doyts and Stiuers. 1638 Bp. Sanderson Serm. II. 104 We disburs'd not a mite, not a doyt towards it. 1755 Smollett Quix. (1803) IV. 224, I print for profit, without which, reputation is not worth a doit. 1784 Cowper Task v. 316. 1850 Carlyle Latter-d. Pamph. ii. (1872) 72 Every doit of the account..will have to be settled one day. |
b. Transferred to various small coins.
| 1728 Episc. Ch. Rec. in Cramond Ann. Banff (1893) II. 158 In French dytts and lettered bodles {pstlg}9. 11. 8. 1744 Ibid. 159 The Thesaurer cannot get disposed of the doits belonging to the Chapel. 1882 Bithell Counting-ho. Dict. (1893) 100 Doit, a Hindostan copper coin, 120 to a rupee. 1893 Cramond Ann. Banff II. 158 The doits on hand in 1739 were sold for {pstlg}12 18s. Sc., and in 1743 the discount on doits..at four for a halfpenny amounted to {pstlg}7 5s. Sc. |
2. transf. and fig. A very small piece or part of anything; absol. a very little, a bit, a jot; esp. in phr. not to care a doit.
| 1660 Fisher Rusticks Alarm Wks. (1679) 341 Many Holy Prophets Writings are lost, but not a Doit of the Doctrine. 1695 Congreve Love for L. iii. v, He does not care a doit for your person. a 1734 North Exam. i. ii. §83 (1740) 74 No Doit of that appears from him. 1849 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. II. 94 As if anybody out of the family of Friends cared a doit about W. Penn. |