Jit

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Short for just-in-time, a method of producing goods or compiling program code only at the moment it is actually required
2. An abbreviation meaning just-in-time, referring to processes that deliver or convert something only when it is needed
3. Shorthand for a timing approach in manufacturing or software that prepares items or code just as they are called for

Etymology: Jit is a clipped form of "just-in-time," a phrase built from three ordinary English words, "just," "in," and "time," that together mean "at the exact moment it is needed." In manufacturing, the idea is that parts arrive at the production line when they are required, not weeks in advance, so factories keep little stock on hand. The abbreviation keeps the phrase's sense while shortening it for technical talk. The method is most closely associated with Toyota's production system, developed in Japan after the Second World War, and that is where the approach became widely known. Its aim was to cut waste by holding less inventory and by making only what was needed, when it was needed.