farthings

Noun

farthing (plural farthings)

1. (archaic, historical) A quarter of any monetary unit or measure.
2. (historical) Former British unit of currency worth one-quarter of an old penny; or a coin representing this.
   • "Nay, Heaven forbid, indeed," quoth Robin, "that I should take from such as thee, jolly fellow! Not so much as one farthing would I take from thee, for I love a fair Saxon face like thine right well—more especially when it cometh from Locksley Town, and most especially when the man that owneth it...1883, Howard Pyle, chapter V, in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner’s Sons […], →OCLC
3. (figuratively) A very small quantity or value; the least possible amount.
   • That period of infatuation was not unrelieved by a certain amount of self-introspection on my part. I kept account of every farthing I spent, and my expenses were carefully calculated. Every little item such as omnibus fares or postage or a couple of coppers spent on newspapers, would be entered...1927-29, M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, translated 1940 by Mahadev Desai, Part I, Chapter xvi

   Synonyms:

   jot, shred, whit

4. (obsolete) A division of land.

See all 5 meanings of farthing