jot

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to write briefly; also, a very small amount

   Let me jot down your number before I forget it.

Simplified etymology

Jot comes from Greek iōta, the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet, with i and j being interchangeable forms in medieval writing. It first meant a very small amount; the verb in “jot down” appeared in the early 18th century and seems to have developed from the idea of a short, sharp action involved in writing a jot.

From Latin 'iota' (the smallest Greek letter), from Greek 'iōta'; the noun sense 'a tiny amount' came first, and the verb 'to write briefly' derives from it.

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