iota
iota Lexical Profile
iota Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An extremely small amount; a tiny bit or shred (usually used in negative statements).
"Despite the mounting evidence, the committee refused to budge an iota from its original position."
The ninth, and smallest, letter of the Greek alphabet (Ι, ι), transliterated as 'i'.
"In classical Greek manuscripts, the silent iota is often written as a tiny subscript beneath the preceding vowel."
Word Nuance & Usage
In figurative usage meaning a tiny amount, "iota" is used almost exclusively in negative constructions (e.g., "not one iota" or "didn't care an iota").
• Rhymes for iota
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Latin from Ancient Greek ἰῶτα (iōta), of Semitic origin and akin to Hebrew יוֹד (yōdh). Because iota is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet, it came to represent any minuscule amount, popularized by the New Testament passage Matthew 5:18 (often translated as "jot").