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tithe (t )n.1. a. A tenth part of one's annual income contributed voluntarily or due as a tax, especially for the support of the clergy or church. b. The institution or obligation of paying tithes. 2. A tax or assessment of one tenth. 3. a. A tenth part. b. A very small part. v. tithed, tith·ing, tithes v.tr.1. To contribute or pay a tenth part of (one's annual income). 2. To levy a tithe on.
[Middle English, from Old English t otha; see dek in Indo-European roots.]
tith er n. Word History: A tithe is a tenth, etymologically speaking; in fact, tithe is the old ordinal numeral in English. Sound changes in the prehistory of English are responsible for its looking so different from the word ten. Tithe goes back to a prehistoric West Germanic form *tehuntha-, formed from the cardinal numeral *tehun, "ten," and the same ordinal suffix that survives in Modern English as -th. The n disappeared before the th in the West Germanic dialect area that gave rise to English, and eventually yielded the Old English form t othe, "tenth," still not too different from the cardinal numeral t en. But over time, as the former became tithe and the latter ten, and as tithe developed the specialized meaning "a tenth part paid as a tax," it grew harder to perceive a relationship between the two. The result was that speakers of English created a new word for the ordinal, tenth, built with the cardinal numeral ten on the pattern of the other regularly-formed ordinal numerals like sixth or seventh. |
tithe [taɪð]n1. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) (often plural) Christianity a tenth part of agricultural or other produce, personal income, or profits, contributed either voluntarily or as a tax for the support of the church or clergy or for charitable purposes 2. (Historical Terms) any levy, esp of one tenth 3. a tenth or very small part of anything vb1. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) (tr)a. to exact or demand a tithe or tithes from (an individual or group) b. to levy a tithe upon (a crop or amount of produce, etc.) 2. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) (intr) to pay a tithe or tithes [Old English teogoth; related to Old Frisian tegotha, Old Saxon tegotho, Old High German zehando, Old Norse tīundi, Gothic taihunda] tither n
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | tithe - a levy of one tenth of somethinglevy - a charge imposed and collected | | 2. | tithe - an offering of a tenth part of some personal incomeoffering - money contributed to a religious organization | | Verb | 1. | tithe - exact a tithe from; "The church was tithed"tithe - levy a tithe on (produce or a crop); "The wool was tithed" bill, charge - demand payment; "Will I get charged for this service?"; "We were billed for 4 nights in the hotel, although we stayed only 3 nights" | | 2. | tithe - levy a tithe on (produce or a crop); "The wool was tithed"tithe - exact a tithe from; "The church was tithed" | | 3. | tithe - pay one tenth of; pay tithes on, especially to the church; "He tithed his income to the Church"tithe - pay a tenth of one's income, especially to the church; "Although she left the church officially, she still tithes" | | 4. | tithe - pay a tenth of one's income, especially to the church; "Although she left the church officially, she still tithes"pay - give money, usually in exchange for goods or services; "I paid four dollars for this sandwich"; "Pay the waitress, please" tithe - pay one tenth of; pay tithes on, especially to the church; "He tithed his income to the Church" |
tithe
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