threebit

Threebit is a term used in information technology with multiple possible meanings that depend on the context. In its most literal sense, a three-bit unit is a piece of data consisting of three binary digits, which can encode eight distinct values. Three-bit representations are rarely used in contemporary general-purpose computing, which standardizes on eight-bit bytes, but three-bit fields have appeared in historical protocols, compact data formats, and bit-packing schemes where several three-bit values are stored in a single byte.

In graphics and display technology, "3-bit" color-depth refers to a palette of eight colors per pixel. This low color depth was common in some early displays and terminal systems, and modern usage generally describes color depth in terms of bits per channel or total bits per pixel. The exact encoding of those eight colors varies; some implementations allocate one bit for each primary channel, others maintain fixed palettes.

The lowercase form threebit is also encountered as a brand name or project identifier in different domains, including software tools and hardware initiatives. Because there is no single canonical "threebit" definition, the specific meaning should be inferred from the relevant technical or historical context.

See also: binary data, bit-packing, color depth, 3-bit color.