tithe (redirected from tithes)

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.

v.intr.

To pay a tithe.

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[Middle English, from Old English totha; see dek in Indo-European roots.]

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titha·ble (t-bl) adj.

tither 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 tothe, "tenth," still not too different from the cardinal numeral ten. 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.

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tithe

Noun

1. one tenth of one's income or produce paid to the church as a tax

2. a tenth or very small part of anything: he had accomplished only a tithe of his great dream

Verb

[tithing, tithed]

1. to demand a tithe from

2. to pay a tithe or tithes [Old English teogotha]

tithable adj

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	tithe - a levy of one tenth of something levy - a charge imposed and collected
	2.	tithe - an offering of a tenth part of some personal income offering - 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" levy, impose - impose and collect; "levy a fine" 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"

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tithe

noun tax, levy, duty, assessment, tribute, toll, tariff, tenth, impost