BIT, or BITT, an essential part of a bridle. Its kinds are various. 1. The mustrol, snaffle, or watering-bit. 2. The canon-mouth, jointed in the middle. 3. The canon with a salt mouth, all of a piece, only kneed in the middle, to form a liberty or space for the tongue; fit for horses too sensible, or ticklish, and liable to be continually bearing on the hand. 4. The canon-mouth, with the liberty in form of a pigeon's neck; proper where a horse has too large a tongue. 5. The canon with a port-mouth, and an upset or mounting liberty; where a horse has a good mouth, but large tongue. 6. The scotch-mouth, with an upset; ruder but more secure than a canon-mouth. 7. The canon-mouth with a liberty; proper for a horse with a large tongue, and round bars. 8. The masticadour, or flaverig bit, &c. The several parts of a snaffle, or curb-bit, are the mouth-piece, the cheeks and eyes, guard of the cheek, head of the cheeks, the port, the welts, the campanel or curb and hook, the bosses, the bolsters and rabbits, the water-chains, the side-bolts, and rings, kirbels of the bit or curb, trench, top-rol, flap and jerve. The importation of bits for bridles is now prohibited.