pittance
English
Etymology
From Middle English pitaunce, from Old French pitance, pitence, from Medieval Latin *pietāntia, from Latin pietās (“piety”).
Pronunciation
Noun
pittance (plural pittances)
- A small allowance of food and drink; a scanty meal.
- A meagre allowance of money or wages.
- 1842, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Lady Anne Granard, volume 1, page 74:
- In the very prime of life, Mr. Glentworth found every prospect gone; he had only a meagre pittance, compared to his former expenditure; but he had neither the habits nor the opportunity of increasing it.
- 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 5
- So I went to keep house with him at the Why Not? and my aunt sent down my bag of clothes, and would have made over to Elzevir the pittance that my father left for my keep, but he said it was not needful, and he would have none of it.
- A small amount.
Translations
small allowance of food and drink; a scanty meal
meagre allowance of money or wages
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a small amount
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Translations to be checked
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Derived terms
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- English terms inherited from Middle English
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- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Medieval Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
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