Mite

Mite - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

Contraction of minute, from the Latin minutum, the translation of the Greek word lepton, the very smallest bronze of copper coin (Luke 12:59; 21:2). Two mites made one quadrans, i.e., the fourth part of a Roman as, which was in value nearly a halfpenny. (See [407]FARTHING.)

Mite - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

MITE, n. [Heb. small.]

1. A very small insect of the genus Acarus.

2. In Scripture, a small piece of money, the quarter of a denarius, or about seven English farthings.

3. Any thing proverbially very small; a very little particle or quantity.

4. The twentieth part of a grain.

mit (lepton): The smallest copper or bronze coin current among the Jews. They were first struck by the Maccabean princes with Hebrew legends, and afterward by the Herods and the Roman procurators with Greek legends. The "widow's mite" mentioned in Mr 12:42 and Lu 21:2 was probably of the first kind, since those with Greek legends were regarded as unlawful in the temple service. According to Mark, the lepton was only half a kodrantes (Latin quadrans), which would indicate a value of about one-fourth of a cent or half an English farthing.

See MONEY.

H. Porter