Mite Names a Tiny Creature and a Tiny Coin
A mite is a minute arachnid. It is also an old word for the smallest possible amount.
A mite is a minute arachnid, related to ticks and spiders, and also a very small amount or a small child. The two senses meet in a coin: the mite was a tiny Flemish copper piece of almost no value, which is where the widow's mite and the phrase *a mite tired* both come from. The creature was named for the same reason — it was the smallest thing anyone could see. Mites are astonishingly numerous, and several species live harmlessly in human eyelash follicles.
- A tiny arachnid. *A dust mite.*
- A small amount. *Not a mite of use.*
- Slightly. *A mite cold.*
- A small child. *A poor little mite.*
- Old English — *mite*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | mite | A mite. |
| Plural | mites | Mites. |
| Adverb | a mite | A mite tired. |
| Related | tick | A tick. |
| Class | Arachnida | Arachnida. |
- Dust mites live in bedding.Creature.
- She was a mite annoyed.Degree.
- The widow's mite.Coin.
Where mites live
- Dust mites — in bedding, feeding on shed skin
- Soil mites — among the most numerous soil animals
- Eyelash mites — in human follicles, usually harmless
- Varroa mites — parasites of honeybees
- Most species are under a millimetre long
Old English *mite*, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch *mijt*.
What was the widow's mite?
A tiny copper coin of almost no value. The name records the sense of mite as the smallest possible amount.
Are mites insects?
No. They are arachnids, related to spiders and ticks, and most species are under a millimetre long.