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Mite
Definitions
- 1 A minor river in Cumbria, England, which joins the Cumbrian Esk and River Irt near Ravenglass.
- 1 Any of many minute arachnids which, along with the ticks, comprise subclass Acarina (aka Acari).
- 2 any of numerous very small to minute arachnids often infesting animals or plants or stored foods wordnet
- 3 A small coin formerly circulated in England, rated at about a third of a farthing.
"One mite wrung from the lab'rer's hands Shall buy and sell the miser's lands;"
- 4 a slight but appreciable amount wordnet
- 5 A lepton, a small coin used in Judea in the time of Christ.
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- 6 A small weight; one twentieth of a grain.
- 7 Anything very small; a minute object; a very little quantity or particle. adverbial, sometimes
"a mite"
- 8 A small or naughty person, or one people take pity on; rascal. colloquial, often
"Today's children at Christmas-time take a cast-off toy to the Toy Service held in many churches, and it is a pretty sight to watch those tiny mites clutching their toys and parting from them.j"
- 1 Eye dialect spelling of might. alt-of, pronunciation-spelling
Etymology
From Middle English mite, from Old English mīte (“mite, tiny insect”), from Proto-West Germanic *mītā, from Proto-Germanic *mītǭ (“biting insect”, literally “cutter”), from *maitaną (“to cut”), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“small”) or *meh₂y- (“to cut”). Akin to Old High German mīza (“mite”), Middle Dutch mīte (“moth, mite”), Dutch mijt (“moth, mite”), Danish mide (“mite”).
From Middle English mite, from Old English mīte (“mite, tiny insect”), from Proto-West Germanic *mītā, from Proto-Germanic *mītǭ (“biting insect”, literally “cutter”), from *maitaną (“to cut”), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“small”) or *meh₂y- (“to cut”). Akin to Old High German mīza (“mite”), Middle Dutch mīte (“moth, mite”), Dutch mijt (“moth, mite”), Danish mide (“mite”).
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