/taɪð/
OriginFrom 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”).
- archaicA tenth.
“But really that gold was not half
That a king might have hoped to compel—
Not a half, not a third, not a tithe.”
- historicalThe 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.
“For this is abundantly confuted by the Constitutions and Practice of these Christian States where Tithes have been variously settled, for maintenance of the Evangelical Priest-hood ; and other pious U”
“That there is and from time immemorial has been within that part of the parish called Mablethorpe St. Mary's a laudable custom that, if any outdweller take ancient pasture ground, he shall pay a modus”
- A contribution to one's religious community or congregation of worship (notably to the LDS church).
- A small part or proportion.
“Prayers and calling-over seemed twice as short as usual, and before they could get construes of a tithe of the hard passages marked in the margin of their books, they were all seated round, and the Do”
“I scarcely know any thing that really interests me, and I would give a great deal not to be so quick-sighted as I am; it would be so pleasant to believe only a tithe of the professions that are made m”
- archaic, not-comparableTenth.
“Euery tythe ſoule, 'mongſt many thouſand diſmes,”
- transitiveTo pay something as a tithe.
“He teoðode gynd eall his cyne rice ðone teoðan del ealra his landa.”
“A reply sent to a young member by the sect's letter-answering department was more precise: ‘A person working for wages is to tithe one-tenth of the total amount of his wages before income tax, nationa”
- transitiveTo pay a tithe upon something.
“...ge tiogoðiað eowre mintan & eowerne dile & eowerne kymen.”
“The maner of tiething pigge and gose is, yf one have vijᵗʰ, to pay one.”
“Here with the sacred money [Xenophon] built an altar and a temple, and ever after, year by year, tithed the fruits of the land in their season and did sacrifice to the goddess.”
- intransitiveTo pay a tithe; to pay a 10% tax
“Þe prest þe meneȝeð rihtliche teðien.”
“They went to the Six Hickories church—tithed—and behaved themselves.”
- figuratively, intransitiveTo pay or offer as a levy in the manner of a tithe or religious tax.
“These slaves are either the sonnes of Christians, tithed in their childhoods, Captives taken in the warres, or Renegadoes.”
“Former Southern officers prospered and tithed up to 50 percent for Civil War II, which never came.”
- To take one-tenth or a tithe of something, particularly
“gif we teoðiað þas gearlican dagas, þonne beoð þær six and ðritig teoðing-dagas.”
- transitiveTo impose a tithe upon someone or something.
“Leeuy, that took tithis, is tithid.”
“The cost... has been defrayed by tithing the whole Mormon Church. Those who reside at Nauvoo... have been obliged to work every tenth day in quarrying stone.”
- transitiveTo 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).
“Þe folk of Crist was tiþed, þat is to seie, nyne slayn and þe tenþe i-kepte.”
“The multitude are tith'd, and every tenth only spar'd.”
- transitiveTo enforce or collect a tithe upon someone or something.
“The Monkes the Priors and holy cloystred Nunnes,
Are all in health,...”
“When the parson or Procter commeth to tythe his wooll.”
- obsolete, transitiveTo decimate: to kill every tenth person, usually as a military punishment.
“By decimation, and a tithed death, / ... take thou the destin'd tenth”
“The Thebane Legion... was first tithed, that is, every tenth man thereof was executed.”
“Keeping aliue... two principall persons, that they might be tithed with the soldiors... Every tenth man of the Normans they chose out by lot, to be executed.”
- intransitiveTo enforce or collect a tithe.
“Those who tithe and toll upon them for their spiritual and temporal benefit.”
- obsolete, transitiveTo compose the tenth part of something.
“Her sorrowes did not tith her ioy.”
Formstithes(plural) · tithes(present, singular, third-person) · tithing(participle, present) · tithed(participle, past) · tithed(past)
Source: Wiktionary