tithe

[ tahyth ]
See synonyms for: tithetithedtithing on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Sometimes tithes. the tenth part of agricultural produce or personal income set apart as an offering to God or for works of mercy, or the same amount regarded as an obligation or tax for the support of the church, priesthood, or the like.

  2. any tax, levy, or the like, especially of one-tenth.

  1. a tenth part or any indefinitely small part of anything.

verb (used with object),tithed, tith·ing.
  1. to give or pay a tithe or tenth of (produce, money, etc.).

  2. to give or pay tithes on (crops, income, etc.).

  1. to exact a tithe from (a person, community, parish, etc.).

  2. to levy a tithe on (crops, income, etc.).

verb (used without object),tithed, tith·ing.
  1. to give or pay a tithe.

Origin of tithe

1
First recorded before 900; (for the noun) Middle English ti(ghe)the, Old English teogotha tenth; (for the verb) Middle English tithen, Old English teogothian “to take the tenth of,” derivative of the noun
  • Also British, tythe .

Other words from tithe

  • titheless, adjective
  • un·tithed, adjective

Words Nearby tithe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tithe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tithe

tithe

/ (taɪð) /


noun
  1. (often plural) Christianity a tenth part of agricultural or other produce, personal income, or profits, contributed either voluntarily or as a tax for the support of the church or clergy or for charitable purposes

  2. any levy, esp of one tenth

  1. a tenth or very small part of anything

verb
  1. (tr)

    • to exact or demand a tithe or tithes from (an individual or group)

    • to levy a tithe upon (a crop or amount of produce, etc)

  2. (intr) to pay a tithe or tithes

Origin of tithe

1
Old English teogoth; related to Old Frisian tegotha, Old Saxon tegotho, Old High German zehando, Old Norse tīundi, Gothic taihunda

Derived forms of tithe

  • tither, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for tithe

tithe

A tenth part of one's annual income contributed to support the clergy or a church. The Mosaic law required the Israelites to pay a tithe for the support of worship.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.