[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/mite/)

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# mite

noun (a mite, mites); adverb («a mite» — informal, old-fashioned: a little)

«mite» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A tiny animal with eight legs, related to spiders, often too small to see: dust mites. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#m1)
2. A small child or small creature that you feel sorry for: the poor little mite. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#m2)
3. (informal, «a mite») A little bit, slightly: a mite cold. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#m3)
4. (old) A very small coin or amount. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#m4)

### In the lessons

In science mites are arachnids (eight legs), not insects; dust mites live in beds and carpets and can cause allergies. In UK and Irish everyday talk «the poor little mite» shows kindness to a small child. In counting problems a mite has 8 legs.

### Examples

- Dust mites live in our pillows. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#x1)
- A mite has eight legs, like a spider. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#x2)
- Red mites can bite chickens. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#x3)
- The poor little mite was soaked in the rain. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#x4)
- It's a mite chilly this morning. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#x5)
- Under the microscope we saw a mite crawling on a leaf. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#x6)
- 5 mites have 5 × 8 = 40 legs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#x7)
- There he would find better fare than briny water and sand mites. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/#x8)

### Note

Homophone: might (could; strength). Mites are not insects (insects have 6 legs). «A mite» meaning «a little» is old-fashioned.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «mite» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mite/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«mite» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/mite.html) on Mova free.