ZebraWords.com - The Definition of 'Pittance', Synonyms of 'Pittance' & More on 'Pittance'

1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)

pittance
    n 1: an inadequate payment; "they work all day for a mere
         pittance"

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Pittance \Pit"tance\ (p[i^]t"tans), n. [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.]
   1. An allowance of food bestowed in charity; a mess of
      victuals; hence, a small charity gift; a dole. "A good
      pitaunce." --Chaucer.
      [1913 Webster]

            One half only of this pittance was ever given him in
            money.                                --Macaulay.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A meager portion, quantity, or allowance; an
      inconsiderable salary or compensation. "The small pittance
      of learning they received." --Swift.
      [1913 Webster]

            The inconsiderable pittance of faithful professors.
                                                  --Fuller.
      [1913 Webster]

Thesaurus Results for Pittance:

1. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

ace, alms, alms fee, atom, bit, charity, collection, contribution, dab, dole, donation, donative, dot, dram, dribble, driblet, dwarf, farthing, fleck, flyspeck, fragment, gobbet, grain, granule, groat, hair, half rations, handful, handout, inadequacy, insufficiency, iota, jot, little, little bit, mere subsistence, minim, minimum, minutiae, mite, modicum, molecule, mote, nutshell, offering, offertory, ounce, particle, peanuts, pebble, pinch, point, scrap, scrimption, scruple, shoestring, short allowance, short commons, small potatoes, smidgen, smitch, speck, spoonful, spot, starvation wages, subscription, thimbleful, tiny bit, tithe, tittle, trace, trifling amount, trivia, votive offering, whit

Common Misspellings >