jot

1 of 2

noun

: the least bit : iota

jot

2 of 2

verb

jotted; jotting

transitive verb

: to write briefly or hurriedly : set down in the form of a note
jot this down

Examples of jot in a Sentence

Noun it's obvious that he doesn't have a jot of interest in history Verb He paused to jot a few notes on a slip of paper.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Beyond black-and-navy, some folks refuse to let brown duet with black, or fret if the shades of their shoes and belt differ a jot. Jamie Waters, wsj.com, 28 Apr. 2023 But that won’t change matters one jot. Washington Post, 15 July 2021 But that has not consoled Mr Trump one jot. The Economist, 9 July 2020 All those centuries of intimacy, of living cheek by jowl, of building a shared culture, mattered not a jot. Aatish Taseer Richard Mosse, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022 These jot books still exist, and they’re kept in the Benson Ford archives. Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 4 Nov. 2021 Each flash, zoom and jot captures a new angle of the casing’s unique markings. Dallas News, 28 Nov. 2022 The most common error was the urge to include every jot and tittle in the article, despite the fact that the paper and supplementary material run over 3700 words, and the article could only be 500. Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 25 Feb. 2011 Notes have evolved to be as complex and intricate as the subject of the notes or as simple as a jot of a reminder. Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2022
Verb
On poster paper at the front of the class, Edwards jotted down key phrases, using Crayola markers each student had chosen. Jessica Cheung, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2023 Scattered across a large auditorium, students jotted notes as Negy, a 62-year-old associate professor of psychology, spoke about Sigmund Freud. Jack Stripling, Washington Post, 21 June 2023 Each undated tear-off page gives you the flexibility to create meal plans, list appointments, jot down your weekly schedule, or keep track of anything else on your to-do list. Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2023 Keep scrolling to see the walk in closet ideas designers use to create stylish and functional spaces, and jot down your favorite layouts, storage solutions, and color palettes. Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 14 July 2023 Dak Prescott was busy jotting down a few notes when the question was posed. David Moore, Dallas News, 28 July 2023 As your loyal editor jots this dispatch, the students are interviewing each other. Jonathan Levinson, oregonlive, 16 July 2023 As the hearing unfolded and developments transpired, Sneed and Rabinowitz jotted down their reporting on notepads, tearing off sheets with urgent news, and handing it to one of the students. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 14 June 2023 Hang it by the front door to jot down and little reminders or greetings. Brittney Morgan, housebeautiful.com, 5 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin iota, jota iota

First Known Use

Noun

1500, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1721, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jot was in 1500

Dictionary Entries Near jot

Cite this Entry

“Jot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jot. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

jot

1 of 2 noun
: the least bit

jot

2 of 2 verb
jotted; jotting
: to make a brief note of
jot this down

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