byte
byte (bīt) noun
Abbreviated B. Short for binary term. A unit of data, today almost always consisting of eight bits. A byte can represent a single character, such as a letter, a digit, or a punctuation mark. Because a byte represents only a small amount of information, amounts of computer memory and storage are usually given in kilobytes (1024 bytes), megabytes (1,048,576 bytes), or gigabytes (1,073,741,824 bytes). See also bit, gigabyte, kilobyte, megabyte. Compare octet, word.