“tithes” is a form of
tithe
/taɪð/ noun, adjective, verb
Forms tithes tithing tithed
- noun (archaic) A tenth.
- noun (historical) The tenth part of the increase arising from the profits of land and stock, allotted to the clergy for their support, as in England, or devoted to religious or charitable uses; a tax taking ten percent of land or stock profits, used for religious or charitable purposes.
- noun A contribution to one's religious community or congregation of worship (notably to the LDS church).
- noun A small part or proportion.
- adjective (archaic) Tenth.
- verb (transitive) To pay something as a tithe.
- verb (transitive) To pay a tithe upon something.
- verb (intransitive) To pay a tithe; to pay a 10% tax
- verb (intransitive, figuratively) To pay or offer as a levy in the manner of a tithe or religious tax.
- verb To take one-tenth or a tithe of something, particularly:
- verb (transitive) To impose a tithe upon someone or something.
- verb (transitive) To spare only every tenth person, killing the rest (usually in relation to the sacking of the episcopal seat at Canterbury by the pagan Danes in 1011).
- verb (transitive) To enforce or collect a tithe upon someone or something.
Synonyms
decim decima decimate decimation tithing titheling tithe out
Etymology
From Middle English tithe, tythe, tethe, from Old English tēoþa, tēoða, teogoþa (in verb senses via Middle English tithen, tythen, tethen, from Old English tēoþian, teogoþian), from a proposed Proto-Germanic *tehunþô, *tehundô (“a tenth”), with its nasal consonant being lost according to the Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law. Cognate with West Frisian tsiende (“tithe”), Saterland Frisian Teeged (“tithe”), Dutch tiende, German Low German Teihnte, German Zehnt (“tithe”), Danish tiende (“tithe”), Icelandic tíund (“tithe”), Dutch tiende (“tithe”). Doublet of tenth.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A tenth; the tenth part of anything; specifically, the tenthpart of the increase arising from the profits of land and stock, allotted to the clergy for their support, as in England, or devoted to religious or charitable uses. Almost all the tithes of England and Wales are commuted by law into rent charges.
- noun Hence, a small part or proportion. Bacon. Great tithes, tithes of corn, hay, and wood.
- adjective Tenth. [Obs.]
- verb To levy a tenth part on; to tax to the amount of a tenth; to pay tithes on. Ye tithe mint and rue. Luke xi. 42.
Etymology [OE. tithe, tethe, properly an adj., tenth, AS. teó the tenth; akin to tién, t, ten, ten, G. zehnte, adj., tenth, n., a tithe, Icel. tiund the tenth; tithe, Goth. taíhunda tenth. See Ten, and cf. Tenth, Teind.]
Etymology [As. teó.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “tithe”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details