mite

Meaning

Noun

1. Any of many minute arachnids which, along with the ticks, comprise subclass Acarina (aka Acari).
2. A small coin formerly circulated in England, rated at about a third of a farthing.
3. A lepton, a small coin used in Palestine in the time of Christ.
4. A small weight; one twentieth of a grain.
5. (adverbial, sometimes) Anything very small; a minute object; a very little quantity or particle.
6. (colloquial, often) A small or naughty person, or one people take pity on; rascal.

Verb

Eye dialect spelling of might.

Synonyms

tick

animalcule

arachnids

acarus

pinch

beauty spot

bit

hint

soupcon

speck

midge

tinge

touch

jot

lice

little

louse

morsel

parasite

particle

poor

scrap

soul

thing

whit

woodworm

acarine

dark mole

face mole

acaridan

atomy

obolus

ixodid

acarid

soft tick

atom

babe

baby

👶

bug

🐛

cheesemonger

count

🔢

creature

crumb

darling

dear

fragment

insect

iota

Translations

Milbe

acarien

acaro

ácaro

mijt

ácaro

kene

mite

óbolo

acaro

acari

pizca

ácar

Pronounced as (IPA)

/maɪt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: mite

Inherited from Old English: mīte

Cognate with Old High German: mīza

Cognate with Middle Dutch: mīte

Cognate with Dutch: mijt

Cognate with Danish: mide

In summary

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”).