nibble
n.a small amount of data that a computer sends or receives at one time. It is much smaller than a full block of information.
n.a small unit of data, typically 16 bits, used in computing for data transfer or memory addressing.
“The computer sends a nibble of data to the screen.”
“In older systems, a nibble was the smallest unit of data that could be processed by the processor.”
“While modern processors handle data in larger chunks, the nibble remains a fundamental unit in certain legacy protocols and low-level hardware communication.”
“Spaniards love snacking, or picoteo as they call it, something to nibble along with a enjoying a drink.”
The verb is derived from Late Middle English nebillen, nebyll (“to peck away at (something), nibble; (figurative) to attempt to sing (a part of a song)”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Middle Low German nibbelen (“to eat in small bites, peck”) (modern German Low German nibbeln, gnibbeln, knibbeln), possibly a variant of knabbelen, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gnet- (“to press”) or imitative. The noun is derived from the verb. Cognates * Middle Dutch cnibbelen (modern Dutch knibbelen (“to gnaw; to murmur”), nibbelen (“to nibble”)) * Saterland Frisian nibje (“to nibble”) * West Frisian knibbelje
A pun on the homophony of byte and bite.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.