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Wednesday October 20, 2010

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iota [eye-OH-tuh]

noun

1. The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, corresponding with the English i.
2. A very small quantity or degree; a jot; a particle.

• Fenty, after sending off his most controversial appointee Wednesday, backed off his leadership philosophy not an iota: "I believe we were elected to fix the schools as fast as humanly possible," he said. "I wouldn't change anything."
  Mike DeBonis, "Rhee departs, and the churn goes on", The Washington Post, Oct 15, 2010
• "The film's resonated with a lot of people in the media, even though it makes fun of them," said co-director Mahmood Farooqui. "Unfortunately, the film message hasn't had one iota of effect on their self-righteousness."
  Mark Magnier, "Cultural Exchange; The India that goes unnoticed", Los Angeles Times, Oct 10, 2010
• And the trainer's ups and downs in life, if all the stories were true, had been amazing. At one time it was said that he was worth a cool £100,000, and at another a minus quantity. But rich or poor, he never changed his life by an iota, jogging soberly along his appointed if somewhat tortuous way.
  Alfred Ollivant (1874 - 1927) An English novelist known for his children's stories. Boy Woodburn - A Story of the Sussex Downs (1918)

Origin of the Word

Iota is the ninth and smallest letter in the Greek alphabet.