Definitions for pittance
ˈpɪt nspit·tance

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pittancenoun

   an inadequate payment

   "they work all day for a mere pittance"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pittancenoun

   A small allowance of food and drink; a scanty meal.

2. pittancenoun

   A meagre allowance of money or wages.

3. pittancenoun

   A small amount.

4. Etymology: From Latin pietantia

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pittancenoun

   Etymology: pitance, Fr. pietantia, Italian.

   1. An allowance of meat in a monastry.2. A small portion.

   Then at my lodging,
   The worst is this, that at so slender warning
   You’re like to have a thin and slender pittance. William Shakespeare.

   The ass saved a miserable pittance for himself. Roger L'Estrange.

   I have a small pittance left, with which I might retire. Arb.

   Many of them lose the greatest part of the small pittance of learning they received at the university. Jonathan Swift, Miscellanies.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pittance

   Pittance (through Old French pitance and from Latin pietas, loving-kindness) is a gift to the members of a religious house for masses, consisting usually of an extra allowance of food or wine on occasions such as the anniversary of the donor's death festivals and other similar occasions. The word was early transferred to a charitable donation and to any small gift of food or money.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pittance

   A pittance is a very small or inadequate amount of money, particularly an amount that is given as a wage or allowance.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pittancenoun

   an allowance of food bestowed in charity; a mess of victuals; hence, a small charity gift; a dole

2. Pittancenoun

   a meager portion, quantity, or allowance; an inconsiderable salary or compensation

3. Etymology: [OE. pitance, pitaunce, F. pitance; cf. It. pietanza, LL. pitancia, pittantia, pictantia; perh. fr. L. pietas pity, piety, or perhaps akin to E. petty. Cf. Petty, and Pity.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pittance

   Pittance is a gift to the members of a religious house for masses, consisting usually of an extra allowance of food or wine on occasions such as the anniversary of the donor's death festivals and other similar occasions. The word was early transferred to a charitable donation and to any small gift of food or money.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Pittance

   pit′ans, n. an allowance of food or drink: a dole: a very small portion or quantity. [Fr. pitance, an allowance of food in a monastery—Low L. pietantea—L. pietas, pity.]

Matched Categories

1. • Payment

How to pronounce pittance?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say pittance in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of pittance in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of pittance in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of pittance in a Sentence

1. Meghan Markle:

   I have no idea. But if he did, I am going to assume it was a pittance -- they don't pay that much, it really was so the world could see him doing the healthy things.

2. Ashif Shaikh:

   It is not even a job, it's slavery, the women do not have a choice, they are paid a pittance, and are threatened with violence if they quit. There's a lot of pressure from the village, the community, and their own families.

3. Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel:

   We would get in touch with the plaintiffs who otherwise would have accepted a pittance for a settlement, and they were obviously quite happy to have this sort of support, in a way very similar how a plaintiff’s lawyer on contingency would do it.

4. Gloria Allred:

   Cheerleaders are being exploited and mistreated solely because they are women, these cheerleaders deserve to be paid more than a mere pittance.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=pittance
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Pittance
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=pittance
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittance
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pittance
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=pittance
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=pittance