| a binary digit used as part of a unit of information that is intended to indicate whether or not an error has occurred in the transmission or storage of the information. |
| check bit | |
noun | |
| (computer science) a bit that is used in an error detection procedure in which a 0 or 1 is added to each group of bits so that it will have either an odd number of 1's or an even number of 1's; e.g., if the parity is odd then any group of bits that arrives with an even number of 1's must contain an error [syn: parity bit] |