| 释义 |
farthing, n.|ˈfɑːðɪŋ|
Forms: 1 feorðung, 2 feorþing, 2–3 ferþing, -yng, 3–4 south verþ-, verthing, 3–6 ferthing, -yng(e, 4–6 ferdyng(e, 6 farthinge, -yng(e, 6–8 fardin(g, -yng, 9 dial farden, -in, 6– farthing.
[OE. féorðing, féorðung, f. féorð-a fourth; corresp. to ON. fiórðungr, of which it may possibly be an adoption.]
A quarter of some particular denomination of money or measure.
1. a. The quarter of a penny; the coin representing this value. (Until 17th c. chiefly a silver coin; subsequently of copper alloys; then of bronze.) In translations of the N.T. used for the two Roman coins as and quadrans, respectively the tenth and the fourth part of a denarius.
The farthing ceased to be legal tender in 1961.
c950Lindisf. Gosp. Mark xii. 42 Tuoᵹe stycas þæt is feorðung penninges. ― Luke xxi. 2 Gesæh ðonne an widua ðorfondlico sendende mæslenno feorðungas tuoeᵹ. c1290S. Eng. Leg. I. 129/800 To ȝelden ech ferþing. 1335Act 9 Edw. III, ii. c. 3 Que nul esterling, maille ne ferthing soit fondu pour vessel. 1340Ayenb. 193 Þe poure wyfman þet ne hedde bote tuaye uerþinges þet hi offrede to þe temple. c1430How Good Wijf tauȝte Douȝtir 184 in Babees Bk. (1868) 46 Ne þerfore spende neuere þe more of a ferthing. 1502Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) ii. xviii. 136 Unto y⊇ last ferdynge. 1520Caxton's Chron. Eng. vii. (1520) 91 b/1 The kynge ordeyned that the sterlyng halfpeny and ferthyng sholde go throughout al his lande. 1562J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 165 She thinkth hir farthing good syluer. 1611Bible Matt. x. 29 Are not two Sparrowes solde for a farthing? 1642[see brass n. 7]. 1667E. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. i. (1684) 11 A small piece of copper, called a Farthing. 1688Lond. Gaz. No. 2407/4 The new Tin Farthings..are to be delivered out at the Tinn Office in Bishopsgate-street. 1749Fielding Tom Jones vi. xiii, Here, then..take every farthing I am worth. 1849Robertson Serm. Ser. i. ii. (1866) 32 A miser..hoards farthings. 1866G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. xxxii. (1878) 556 Nor can you touch one farthing of her money.
†b. under farthing: marked with a farthing.
1715Lond. Gaz. No. 5365/4 Sheep..gabel'd on the Left Ear, the Right Ear under Farthing.
2. transf.
†a. A very small piece of anything. Obs. Hence
b. fig. A very little, ‘an atom’, ‘a bit’, esp. in not to care or matter a farthing.
a.c1386Chaucer Prol. 134 In hire cuppe was no ferthing sene Of grees.
b.c1400Destr. Troy 8884 Hit neuer fortherit me a ferthing to fylsy my goodes. 1550Crowley Last Trump 828 Thou knowest not therbi to make the sicke man one farthinge better. 1647Ward Simp. Cobler 43 It matters not a farthing whether he be Presbyterian or Independent. a1707Prior The Ladle 18 Else all these Things we toil so hard in, Wou'd not avail one single Farthing. 1712Steele Spect. No. 522 ⁋6 The gentleman who has told her he does not care a farthing for her. 1872Black Adv. Phaeton xxv. 347 Declared that he did not care a brass farthing.
†3. farthing (of gold):
a. A quarter noble; also farthing noble. (The AF. statute of 1421 has ferling.)
b. A quarter royal (see quot. 1494).
1463Bury Wills (1850) 15, I beqwethe to..Davn John Wulfpet..a ferthing of gold. 1494Fabyan Chron. vii. 655 This yere [1464–5] was a newe coyne ordeyned by the kynge..namyd the royall..in value of .x. shillynges, the halfe royall .v.s. and the ferthynge .ii. s. vi. d. 1529Rastell Pastyme (1811) 220 [In 1351] the kynge stablysshed his coyne..and ordayned that..a noble of golde shulde go for halfe a marke and xx.d for a farthynge of gold, and xii of those farthynges of golde dyd way an ounce.
†4. The name of various measures of land:
a. ? The quarter of a hide; = virgate; cf. fardel n.2
b. ? The quarter of a virgate.
c. ? The quarter of an acre, a rood (see quot. 1669 for farthing-land in 5 b). Obs.
a1000Exon Domesday fol. 356 Oltredus..reddidit gildum pro iii uirg. et iii ferdin' et dim. 1602Carew Cornwall 36 a, Commonly thirtie Acres make a farthing land, nine farthings a Cornish Acre, and four Cornish Acres, a Knight's fee. c1630Risdon Surv. Devon §68 (1810) 65 Moyhun was seized of three rods and three farthings of land.
5. attrib. and Comb.
a. attrib. Costing or valued at a farthing, as farthing-candle, whence farthing-candle-light, farthing-fee, farthing-loaf. Also objective, as farthing-coiner. Also as quasi-adj., trivial, almost valueless, unworthy of respect or notice.
c1300Havelok 878 He..bar þe mete to þe castel, And gat him þere a ferþing wastel. c1350Eng. Gilds (1870) 354 Ȝif þe ferþingloff is in defawte of wyȝte ouer twelf pans. 1463Bury Wills (1850) 28 As moche ferthyng white breed as comyth to iiij s. ij d. 1524Test. Ebor. (Surtees) V. 181 To every man and woman and childe of the contrie a farddyng loof. 1596J. Dee in Recorde's Gr. Artes ii. 324 Directly against it [the price of wheate] in the second columne you may find the waight of the farthing white loafe. 1597–8Bp. Hall Sat. i. iv. 2 Strayning his tip-toes for a farthing fee. 1631Star Chamb. Cases (Camden) 84 Then was..read the severall confessions of the 2 farthing coyners. 1673E. Pearse Best Match vii. §5. 76 Not so much as the light of a Farthing-Candle is to the light of the Sun. 1691tr. Emilianne's Frauds Romish Monkes 247 Her sisters would never be at a Farthing charge to procure Prayers for her. 1795Wolcott (P. Pindar) Wks. (1812) IV. 180 A sun with us..yields to every Farthing Candle. 1817Byron Beppo xliii, That sort of farthing candlelight which glimmers When reeking London's smoky caldron simmers. 1848Garnett Ess. 120 The farthing-candle style of the notes. 1864Sat. Rev. 9 July 66 The farthing, as first issued, was called a farthing token. 1893Stevenson Catriona v. 58 They each made me a little farthing compliment. 1896Belloc Verses & Sonnets 25 His farthing honours.
b. Special comb., as farthing-boat, a boat on which the fare is a farthing; farthing-cut, a mark with which horses were branded by the owner; farthing-gleek, see gleek; farthing-land (see quots.); † farthing-man, Sc., some official of a guild; farthing-noble, the fourth part of a noble; farthing-office, the office from which farthings were issued; farthing-shop, one where articles priced at a farthing are sold; farthing-trout, a name of the Samlet or Parr.
1832W. Stephenson Gateshead Local Poems 58 She took the *farthing boat.
1691Lond. Gaz. No. 2694/4 Stolen or strayed..one black Nag..with a *farthing cut in the near Ear. 1711Ibid. No. 4877/4 A farthing Cut on his Left Ear.
a1652Brome Mad Couple well Matched ii. i, At Post and Pare, or *Farthing gleeke.
1602Carew Cornwall 36 a, Commonly thirtie acres make a *farthing land. 1669Worlidge Syst. Agric. (1681) 325 A Farding Land, or Farundale of Land, is the fourth part of an Acre. 1882C. Elton Orig. Eng. Hist. 193 Three kinds of land, Assart, Farthing-land and Cotman-land.
15..Stat. Gild in Balfour Practicks 77 Quhen the Alderman, Thesurare, *Farthing-man or Dene..convene the gild brether for the commoun affairis.
15..Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden) 5 The nobylle, half nobylle, and *ferdyng⁓nobylle.
1672Lond. Gaz. No. 714/4 The *Farthing-Office..for the delivering out of Farthings will be open on Tuesdays only.
1889Pall Mall G. 6 Sept. 3/1 The *farthing shop is in Dorset-street.
1865Couch Fishes Brit. Isl. IV. 245 Samlet..*Farthing trout. |