Mite
/maɪt/noun
A very small arachnid or insect larva; also, a very small amount.
Did you know?The “small amount” sense of *mite* is ancient English, and the word’s name for the tiny animal is separate in origin from the Old English word for a small coin or trifle.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
mīte
“A small coin or small amount; a trifle.”
Middle English
EN
mite
“A small amount or tiny thing; later also used for tiny creatures.”
16th Century
Latin
mitis
“Not a direct source of the English word; later scientific naming influenced the modern zoological sense.”
Modern English
English
mite
“A tiny arachnid or insect larva; also a very small amount.”
Explore more surprising origins