Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

mite

1 American  
[mahyt] / maɪt /

noun

  1. 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.

mite 2 American  
[mahyt] / maɪt /

noun

  1. a contribution that is small but is all that a person can afford.

  2. a very small sum of money.

  3. a coin of very small value.

  4. a very small object.

  5. a very small creature.

adverb

  1. to a small extent; somewhat (often preceded bya ).

    a mite selfish.
mite 1 British  
/ maɪt /

noun

  1. any of numerous small free-living or parasitic arachnids of the order Acarina (or Acari ) that can occur in terrestrial or aquatic habitats See also gall mite harvest mite itch mite spider mite Compare tick 2

"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
mite 2 British  
/ maɪt /

noun

  1. a very small particle, creature, or object

  2. a very small contribution or sum of money See also widow's mite

  3. a former Flemish coin of small value

  4. informal somewhat

    he's a mite foolish
"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
mite Scientific  
/ mīt /

  1. 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.

Etymology

Origin of mite1

before 1000; Middle English myte, Old English mīte; cognate with Middle Dutch mīte, Old High German miza midge

Origin of mite2

1300–50; Middle English myte < Middle Dutch mīte small copper coin; ultimately identical with mite 1

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.

To test that idea, the team exposed mice to a protein from house dust mites, a common cause of allergic asthma.

From Science Daily

The way it steers the immune system towards fighting an infection also seemed to reduce the response to house dust mite allergens – which are a trigger of allergic asthma.

From BBC

Mrs. Pritchard was a mite plump, so she was breathing hard by the time she caught up with me.

From Literature

Unsure of what they were seeing, the team turned to a colleague who specializes in mites for answers.

From Science Daily

Scabies is an itchy rash caused by mites spread through close skin contact, according to the NHS.

From BBC

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.