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Webster 1913 Edition

Pittance

Pit′tance

(pĭt′tans)
,
Noun.
[OE.
pitance
,
pitaunce
, F.
pitance
; cf. It.
pietanza
, LL.
pitancia
,
pittantia
,
pictantia
; perh. fr. L.
pietas
pity, piety, or perhaps akin to E.
petty
. Cf.
Petty
, and
Pity
.]
1.
An allowance of food bestowed in charity; a mess of victuals; hence, a small charity gift; a dole.
“A good pitaunce.”
Chaucer.
One half only of this
pittance
was ever given him in money.
Macaulay.
2.
A meager portion, quantity, or allowance; an inconsiderable salary or compensation.
“The small pittance of learning they received.”
Swift.
The inconsiderable
pittance
of faithful professors.
Fuller.

Webster 1828 Edition

Pittance

PIT'TANCE

,
Noun.
[The word signifies primarily, a portion of food allowed to a monk. The Spanish has pitar, to distribute allowances of meat, and pitancero, a person who distributes allowances, or a friar who lives on charity.]
1.
An allowance of meat in a monastery.
2.
A very small portion allowed or assigned.
3.
A very small quantity.

Definition 2024

pittance

pittance

English

Noun

pittance ‎(plural pittances)

  1. A small allowance of food and drink; a scanty meal.
  2. A meagre allowance of money or wages.
    • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 5
      So I went to keep house with him at the Why Not? and my aunt sent down my bag of clothes, and would have made over to Elzevir the pittance that my father left for my keep, but he said it was not needful, and he would have none of it.
  3. A small amount.

Translations

Etymology

From Old French pitance, from Latin pietantia

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