Nit

Nits are lice eggs. They are hard to see and are often confused with dandruff or hair spray droplets. Nits are found firmly attached to the hair shaft. They are oval and usually yellow to white. Nits take about a week to hatch. All nits must be removed to prevent reinfestation with lice. They can be removed with a special comb or with the fingers. Topical preparations are available that loosen the “glue” that binds them to the hair, making removal easier. Incidentally, the term "nit-picking" — meaning "too much minor, overly particular criticism" — is relatively recent; it dates only to the 1960s. Nit-picking is in the realm of hairsplitting. See also pediculosis.

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1. The ovum or hatched egg of a body, head, or crab louse; the egg is attached to human hair or clothing by a layer of chitin. 2. A unit of luminance; a luminous intensity of 1 candela per square meter of orthogonally projected surface. [A.S. knitu]

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National Intelligence Test; Nutrition Intervention Trial

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nit 'nit n the egg of a louse or other parasitic insect also the insect itself when young

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n.

the egg of a louse. The eggs of head lice are firmly cemented to the hair, usually at the back of the head; those of body lice are fixed to the clothing. Nits, 0.8 x 0.3 mm, are visible as light white specks.

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(nit) the egg of a louse.