alms
Americannoun
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of alms
First recorded before 1000; Middle English almes, almesse, Old English ælmesse (compare Old Saxon alamōsna, Old High German alamuosa, Dutch aalmoes; Old Spanish almosna ), ultimately derived from Late Latin eleēmosyna, from Greek eleēmosýnē “compassion, alms,” derivative of éleos “pity”; see eleemosynary
Explanation
Alms are money, food, or similar items given to the poor as a charitable act. The word isn't used much today, but in movies set in the 1800s or earlier, you'll likely see street beggars shouting, "Alms for the poor!" The word alms comes from the Greek word eleemosyne, which means "compassion or pity," and is itself from the word eleos, which means "mercy." Related words include almshouse (a poorhouse), almsman (someone who receives charitable alms), and alms chest (a box in a church used for the purpose of collecting money for the poor). None of these words are very common today.
Vocabulary lists containing alms
World Religions
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 14–18
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"A Modest Proposal," Vocabulary from the satire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Many of the residents of all 10 Alms Cottages have been staying with family members after flood water quickly entered their homes.
From BBC • Oct. 24, 2023
The second favorite, at 9-2 is Alms for Michael Stidham and Paco Lopez.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2019
“This is really an active adult facility,” said Amanda Alms, general manager of The Summit.
From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2016
“You think about Ault Park and Alms Park” in Cincinnati, Habel said.
From Washington Times • Jan. 4, 2015
And so I am left to my wits, which in fact are prodigiously keen and surpassingly wise: I enter a town, with my crutch and my cry: “Food for the famished! Alms for the poor!”
From "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village" by Laura Amy Schlitz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
