chit

A child or babe; a young, small, or insignificant person or animal.

Madam was a little chit of a woman, not five feet in her highest headdress and shoes, and Mr. Washington a great tall man of six feet two.

“These are returns,” I said, “quite fit To me, who nursed you when a chit. For shame, lay by this envious art; Is this to act a sister's part?”

A pert or sassy young person, especially a young woman.

Hilda drove in silence for some time after this piece of unheard-of insolence from that chit Connie.

The embryonic growing bud of a plant.

Near-synonyms: shoot, sprout, seedling

the chits of Indian corn or of potatoes

An excrescence on the body, as a wart or a pimple.

To sprout; to shoot, as a seed or plant.

I have known it chit in seven hours after it had been thrown forth of the Cistern and within three days come enough; the Maltster being forced to stir it six, seven or eight times a day,

To damage the outer layers of a seed such as Lupinus or Sophora to assist germination.

To initiate sprouting of tubers, such as potatoes, by placing them in special environment, before planting into the soil.

Gardeners argue among themselves about how necessary chitting is, but I stick with tradition and do chit my seed potatoes.