git
- 01 C1 Advanced
an insulting word for someone you think is annoying, stupid, or unpleasant.
a derogatory term for an unpleasant, annoying, or incompetent person. While not as strong as a swear word, it is still insulting and informal.
Simple“He forgot to pay me back again; he really is a selfish old git.”
In context“The driver cut me off without signaling, and I couldn't help calling him a miserable git under my breath.”
UsageUsually preceded by an adjective like 'old', 'miserable', or 'selfish'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a popular computer program that helps developers track changes in their code and work together.
a widely used distributed version control system designed to track changes in source code during software development.
Simple“I need to upload my latest code changes to Git before I leave.”
In context“The development team migrated their entire repository to Git to take advantage of its superior branching and merging capabilities.”
Teacher's tipIn this context, the word is a proper noun and is almost always capitalized in professional writing.
Synonyms
From Middle English get (“[illegitimate] offspring”). A southern variant of Scots get (“illegitimate child, brat”), related to beget.
Likely chosen for its shortness and pronounceability, but various other explanations and backronyms were offered after its introduction.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.