mite
UK: maɪt | US: maɪt
n. a tiny arachnid, often parasitic
n. a very small amount or particle
n. (archaic) a small coin or trivial sum
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The word "mite" traces back to Old English mīte, meaning "a tiny insect." It shares roots with Middle Dutch mīte and Old High German mīza, all referring to small parasitic creatures. Over time, its meaning expanded metaphorically to denote anything minuscule (e.g., "a mite of dust") or trivial (e.g., "not a mite bothered"). The archaic monetary sense likely arose from the notion of insignificance. As a non-compactible word with no clear morpheme boundaries, "mite" remains intact in analysis.
The cheese was infested with mites.
She added just a mite of salt to the soup.
He wouldn’t pay a mite more than necessary.
A mite crawled across the microscope slide.
(Archaic) "I haven’t a mite left to my name."