The top Bit of an 8-Bit character, which is on in character values 128--255. Also called high Bit, alt Bit, or hobBit. Some terminals and consoles (see {space-cadet keyboard}) have a META shift key. Others (including, *mirabile dictu*, keyboards on IBM PC-class machines) have an ALT key. See also bucky Bits. Historical note: although in modern usage shaped by a universe of 8-Bit bytes the meta Bit is invariably hex 80 (octal 0200), things were different on earlier machines with 36 Bit words and 9-Bit bytes. The MIT and Stanford keyboards (see space-cadet keyboard) generated hex 100 (octal 400) from their meta keys. [Jargon File]