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mite
1[ mahyt ]
/ maɪt /
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noun
any of numerous small to microscopic arachnids of the subclass Acari, including species that are parasitic on animals and plants or that feed on decaying matter and stored foods.
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Also called acarid.
Origin of mite
1before 1000; Middle English myte,Old English mīte; cognate with Middle Dutch mīte,Old High German miza midge
Words nearby mite
MITC, mitch, Mitchell, Mitchell's disease, Mitchum, mite, miter, miter box, mitered, mitered jib, miterer
Other definitions for mite (2 of 2)
mite2
[ mahyt ]
/ maɪt /
noun
a contribution that is small but is all that a person can afford.
a very small sum of money.
a coin of very small value.
a very small object.
a very small creature.
adverb
to a small extent; somewhat (often preceded by a): a mite selfish.
Origin of mite
2Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use mite in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for mite (1 of 2)
mite1
/ (maɪt) /
noun
any of numerous small free-living or parasitic arachnids of the order Acarina (or Acari) that can occur in terrestrial or aquatic habitatsSee also gall mite, harvest mite, itch mite, spider mite Compare tick 2 Related adjective: acaroid
Word Origin for mite
Old English mīte; compare Old High German mīza gnat, Dutch mijt
British Dictionary definitions for mite (2 of 2)
mite2
/ (maɪt) /
noun
a very small particle, creature, or object
a very small contribution or sum of moneySee also widow's mite
a former Flemish coin of small value
a mite informal somewhathe's a mite foolish
Word Origin for mite
C14: from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch mīte; compare mite 1
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
Medical definitions for mite
mite
[ mīt ]
n.
Any of numerous small or minute arachnids of the order Acarina, certain species of which are parasitic on animals and plants, infest stored food products, and in some cases transmit disease.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for mite
mite
[ mīt ]
Any of various very small arachnids of the subclass Acari that often live as parasites on other animals or plants. Like ticks and unlike spiders, mites have no division between the cephalothorax and abdomen.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.