Definition of "chit"

Madam was a little chit of a woman, not five feet in her highest headdress and shoes, and Mr. Washington a great tall man of six feet two.

1859, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Virginians‎, Chapter VI

“These are returns,” I said, “quite fitTo me, who nursed you when a chit.For shame, lay by this envious art;Is this to act a sister's part?”

1922, Petronius Arbiter, translated by W. C. Firebaugh, Satyricon‎, Chapter 56

[…] he seemed to come forward from an era of sexual defiance and fighting alliances and to cast a dismissive eye over a little chit like Nick, who had never fought for anything.

2004, Alan Hollinghurst, chapter 4, in The Line of Beauty […], 1st US edition, New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury Publishing

The Barley after it has been couched four or five days in cold Weather will sweat a little, and begin to show the Chit or Sprit at the Root-end of the Corn,

1721, John Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry: Or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land, page 217

I have known it chit in seven hours after it had been thrown forth of the Cistern and within three days come enough; the Maltster being forced to stir it six, seven or eight times a day,

1721, John Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry: Or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land, page 217

Gardeners argue among themselves about how necessary chitting is, but I stick with tradition and do chit my seed potatoes.

2010, Geoff Stebbings, Growing Your Own Fruit and Veg For Dummies, page 173

1.4.3 Also on the board, but turned face down at the beginning of the game, are chits representing treasure sites and sounds and warnings of monsters that may arrive on the map. When characters end a turn in the hex, these chits are revealed. As characters move around the board, more and more of these chits will be revealed, letting the players know where monsters and treasures are to be found.

2005, Richard Hamblen, Teresa Michelsen, Stephen McKnight, The unofficial, updated Third Edition of the Magic Realm Rules

He just longed to get away from here and try his luck somewhere else, but for the sake of his sister he hung on and on till he ran himself into debt over his ears—I can tell you. I, myself, could show a handful of his chits for meals and drinks in my drawer.

1901, Falk, by Joseph Conrad

You might come in out of contempt for history—then you'd fall in love with the idea that you could make it, because history had assumed a debt that had never been paid—because, save in apparent trivial, vanishing moments, the debt had been forgotten, and even the chits had been lost.

1989, Greil Marcus, “The Assault on Notre-Dame”, in Lipstick Traces, Faber & Faber, published 2009

Harry would call in a chit with some desk manager who owed him a favor.

2003, Linda Fairstein, The Bone Vault, Scribner, page 98

Bill Clinton’s connections, and his endless supply of chits, only begin to capture his singular role in his wife’s presidential candidacy, advisers and friends of the couple say. […] And he is cashing in chits for her that Mr. Gore, post-impeachment, never asked him to do.

2007 May 13, Patrick Healy, “In New Role, Senator Clinton’s Strategist in Chief”, in New York Times‎

Then lastly (with their Chit) they cleave their Laths into their thicknesses, by the Quarter Grain, which is that Grain which is seen to run in strait Lines towards the Pith.

1734, The Builder’s Dictionary: Or, Architect’s Companion‎, volume II

This should be specially selected, cut into lengths, and split by wedges into bolts, with a dowel axe into fittings, and with a chit split into laths.

1905, William Millar, Plastering, Plain and Decorative, page 90