tithe
tithe Lexical Profile
tithe Game Scores & Validity
• noun
One tenth of annual produce or earnings, formerly taken as a tax for the support of the church and clergy, or paid voluntarily as a religious contribution.
"Many members of the congregation give a regular tithe to support the church's community outreach programs."
A very small proportion or fraction of something.
"The published report revealed only a tithe of the difficulties the expedition actually encountered."
• verb
To pay or give a tenth part of one's income or produce, especially for the support of a church or religious institution.
"The family has tithed ten percent of their household income to their local parish for decades."
To levy or impose a tenth-part tax on (a person, community, or crop).
"In medieval times, the monastery tithed the surrounding villages in grain and livestock."
• Rhymes for tithe
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English teogoþa, meaning 'tenth,' derived from the Proto-Germanic root for 'ten.' It was superseded by 'tenth' in general numerical use during Middle English, surviving almost exclusively in its ecclesiastical and taxation sense.