• IPA: /taɪð/

tithe (plural tithes)

1. (archaic) A tenth.
2. (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.

   Synonyms: decim, decima, decimate, decimation, tithing, titheling

3. A contribution to one's religious community or congregation of worship (notably to the LDS church)
4. A small part or proportion.

• French: dîme
• German: Zehnt
• Italian: decima
• Portuguese: dízimo
• Spanish: diezmo

• Portuguese: décimo
• Russian: кро́шечка

tithe (not comparable)

1. (archaic) Tenth.
   • c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act II, scene ii]:

     Euery tythe ſoule, 'mongſt many thouſand diſmes,

tithe (tithes, present participle tithing; past and past participle tithed)

1. To give one-tenth or a tithe of something, particularly:
   1. (transitive) To pay something as a tithe.
      • 854, "Grant by Adulf" in Cartularium Saxonicum, Book ii, 79:

        He teoðode gynd eall his cyne rice ðone teoðan del ealra his landa.

      • 1967 August 6, Observer, 4:

        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, national health, or other deductions are removed.’

   2. (transitive) To pay a tithe upon something.
      • circa 897 King Alfred translating St Gregory, Pastoral Care, Chapter lvii:

        ...ge tiogoðiað eowre mintan & eowerne dile & eowerne kymen.

      • 1562, F.J. Furnivall, ed., Child-marriages... in the Diocese of Chester A.D. 1561-6, p. 138:

        The maner of tiething pigge and gose is, yf one have vij^th, to pay one.

      • 1901, H.G. Dakyns translating Xenophon's Anabasis, Book V, Chapter iii, §9:

        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.

   3. (intransitive) To pay a tithe; to pay a 10% tax

      Synonyms: decimate

      • ante 1200 Trinity College Homilies, 215:

        Þe prest þe meneȝeð rihtliche teðien.

      • 1942 September, Esquire, p. 174:

        They went to the Six Hickories church—tithed—and behaved themselves.

   4. (intransitive, figuratively) To pay or offer as a levy in the manner of a tithe or religious tax.
      • 1630, Anonymous translation of Giovanni Botero, anonymously translated as Relations of the Most Famous Kingdomes and Common-wealths, p. 510:

        These slaves are either the sonnes of Christians, tithed in their childhoods, Captives taken in the warres, or Renegadoes.

      • 1976 June 20, Billings Gazzette, C1:

        Former Southern officers prospered and tithed up to 50 percent for Civil War II, which never came.

2. To take one-tenth or a tithe of something, particularly:
   • circa 1000, Ælfric, Homilies, Vol. I, 178:

     gif we teoðiað þas gearlican dagas, þonne beoð þær six and ðritig teoðing-dagas.

   1. (transitive) To impose a tithe upon someone or something.
      • 1382, Wycliffite Bible, Hebrews 7:9:

        Leeuy, that took tithis, is tithid.

      • 1843, Frederick Marryat, Narrative of the Travels and Adventures of Monsieur Violet, in California, Sonora, & Western Texas, Vol. III, Ch. xi, p. 212:

        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.

   2. (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).
      • 1387, Ranulf Higden, translated by John de Trevisa as Polychronicon, VII, 89:

        Þe folk of Crist was tiþed, þat is to seie, nyne slayn and þe tenþe i-kepte.

      • 1670, John Milton, The History of Britain, vi, 256

        The multitude are tith'd, and every tenth only spar'd.

   3. (transitive) To enforce or collect a tithe upon someone or something.

      Synonyms: decimate, tithe out

      • 1591, The Troublesome Raigne of Iohn King of England, i, G:

        The Monkes the Priors and holy cloystred Nunnes,
        Are all in health,...
        Till I had tythde and tolde their holy hoords.

      • ante 1642, Henry Best, published in 1984 as The Farming and Memorandum Books of Henry Best of Elmswell, p. 26:

        When the parson or Procter commeth to tythe his wooll.

   4. (transitive, obsolete) To decimate: to kill every tenth person, usually as a military punishment.

      Synonyms: decimate

      • 1609, A. Marcellinus, translated by Philemon Holland as The Romane Historie, D, iii:

        The Thebane Legion... was first tithed, that is, every tenth man thereof was executed.

      • 1610, William Camden, translated by Philemon Holland as A Chorographicall Description of... England, Scotland, and Ireland, i, 705:

        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.

   5. (intransitive) To enforce or collect a tithe.
      • 1822, Thomas Love Peacock, Maid Marian, Ch. vi, p. 210:

        Those who tithe and toll upon them for their spiritual and temporal benefit.

3. (transitive, obsolete) To compose the tenth part of something.
   • 1586, William Warner, Albions England: A Continued Historie, i, v, 15:

     Her sorrowes did not tith her ioy.

tithe (plural tithes)

1. (obsolete) A boon a grant or concession.

tithe (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Receiving a concession or grant; successful in prayer or request.

tithe (tithes, present participle tithing; past and past participle tithed)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To grant, concede.