farthing

noun

far·​thing ˈfär-t͟hiŋ How to pronounce farthing (audio)
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

Examples of farthing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ultimately, Whistler won in 1878, but he was only awarded a farthing, just a quarter of a penny, says Merrill. — Alicia Ault, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 July 2024 Weekend activities include walking tours, a ghost tour, games, a scavenger hunt for children, living history actors, flower and turkey carving demonstrations, and bikers on penny farthings, as well as the usual lively market scene. — Olivia McCormack, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ferthing, from Old English fēorthung (akin to Middle High German vierdunc fourth part), from Old English fēortha fourth

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of farthing was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

farthing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Farthing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/farthing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

farthing

noun
far·​thing ˈfär-t͟hiŋ How to pronounce farthing (audio)
: a former British unit of money equal to ¼ of a penny
also : a coin representing this unit
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All