Farthing F'ARTHING, n. 1. The fourth of a penny; a small copper
coin of Great Britain, being the fourth of a penny in value. In America
we have no coin of this kind. We however use the word to denote the
fourth part of a penny in value, but the penny is of different value
from the English penny, and different in different states. It is becoming
obsolete, with the old denominations of money. 2. Farthings, in the
plural, copper coin. 3. Very small price or value. It is not worth a
farthing, that is, it is of very little worth, or worth nothing. 4. A
division of land. [Not now used.] Thirty acres make a farthing-land;
nine farthings a Cornish acre; and four Cornish acres a knight's fee.
farthing nounEtymology: Middle English ferthing, from Old English
fēorthung (akin to Middle High German vierdunc fourth part),
from Old English fēortha fourth Date: before 12th century
1.a. a former British monetary unit equal to 1/4 of a penny b.
a coin representing this unit
2. something of small value ;mite
farthing n. 1 (in the UK) a coin and monetary unit formerly worth a quarter of an old penny. Usage: Withdrawn in 1961. 2 the least possible amount (it doesn't matter a
farthing). Etymology: OE feorthing f. feortha fourth
farthing
ˈfɑ:ðɪŋ n. 1 (in the UK) a coin and monetary unit formerly worth
a quarter of an old penny. °Withdrawn in 1961. 2 the least possible amount
(it doesn't matter a farthing). [OE feorthing f. feortha fourth]
Farthing \Far"thing\, n. [OE. furthing, AS. fe['o]r[eth]ung, fr.
fe['o]r[eth]a fourth, fe['o]r, fe['o]wer, four. See Four.]
1. The fourth of a penny; a small copper coin of Great
Britain, being a cent in United States currency.
2. A very small quantity or value. [Obs.]
In her cup was no farthing seen of grease.
--Chaucer.
3. A division of land. [Obs.]
Thirty acres make a farthing land; nine farthings a
Cornish acre; and four Cornish acres a knight's fee.
--R. Carew.
FARTHING
far'-thing: The rendering of two words in the Greek of the New Testament,
assarion, and kodrantes, Latin quadrans. The assarion was the tenth part of the
denarius, and hence in value about one penny or two centuries The quadrans
was the fourth part of the Roman as, and worth only about three mills,
or less than the English farthing, and is the only term rendered farthing
by the American Standard Revised Version. It occurs in Mt 5:26 and
Mr 12:42, while assarion, which occurs in Mt 10:29 and Lu
12:6, is rendered "penny" by the American Standard Revised Version.
Farthing
(1.) Matt. 10:29; Luke 12:6. Greek assarion, i.e., a small _as_,
which was a Roman coin equal to a tenth of a denarius or
drachma, nearly equal to a halfpenny of our money.
(2.) Matt. 5:26; Mark 12:42 (Gr. kodrantes), the quadrant, the
fourth of an _as_, equal to two lepta, mites. The lepton (mite)
was the very smallest copper coin.
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