Jot
/dʒɒt/noun
A very small amount or a brief written note.
Did you know?Jot entered English as the name of the Greek letter iota, and the phrase “not one jot” comes straight from the New Testament, where a jot was the smallest letter-form people could imagine.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
iōta
“The name of the letter iota, the smallest Greek letter.”
Late Latin
Latin
iota
“The Greek letter iota, borrowed as a letter-name.”
Middle English
English
jot
“A very small amount; a tiny point or particle.”
16th Century
English
not one jot
“A fixed biblical phrase meaning not the slightest bit.”
Modern English
English
jot
“A tiny amount or a brief note.”