widow's mite
English
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widow's mite
- /ˈwɪdəʊz ˈmaɪt/ UK
- /ˈwɪdoʊz ˈmaɪt/ US
Rhymes with -aɪt
Where it comes from
From the Bible account of the poor widow’s donation of two mites (or leptons, small coins of low value) to the temple contribution box, which Jesus Christ praised as more than the gifts presented by wealthy people, for “[a]ll these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on”: Luke 21:1–4 (New International Version); see also Mark 12:38–44.
noun widow's mites
- A very small gift or donation which, however, represents a great sacrifice on the part of the giver. The matter of this Duty, is ſomething of theſe worldly Goods which God hath given us, are juſtly our own, and which we may ſpare, though never ſo little, if but the poor Widow's mite: for God requires our Charity according to our portion, we must give willingly and plentifully.
- The lepton coin. Leptons became famous as the "widows mites" when Christ observed a widow donating two of them to the temple treasury. Christ noted that she had donated more than everyone else had because that was all she had. The two mites were worth about 70 cents to one dollar in modern buying power, or about eno
Translations
Every language
noun very small gift or donation
| Français | denier de la veuve |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Scherflein |
| Русский | ле́пта lépta |
Talk about this word "widow's mite." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/widow's%20mite. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. widow's mite. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/widow's%20mite "widow's mite." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/widow's%20mite.Cite this
@misc{widow_s_mite_2026,
title = {widow's mite},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/widow's%20mite},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
