farthing

Etymology

From Middle English ferthing, from Old English fēorþing, fēorþung (“a quarter, fourth part, farthing”), from fēorþa (“fourth”), from Proto-Germanic *fedurþungaz (“a quarter”), probably influenced by Old Norse fjórðungr (“a fourth part, quarter”). Equivalent to fourth + -ing; compare English riding (“third part”).

noun

1. (historical) Former British unit of currency worth one-quarter of an old penny; or a coin representing this.
   We must keep them to the fact that the duty is one and three quarter farthings, or nearly a half-penny in the pound and no more, and any one who tries to work it out any other way is not acting fairly in the matter. 1895, Parliament of Western Australia, Parliamentary Debates, Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly VIII, page 163
2. (figurative) A very small quantity or value; the least possible amount.
   That period of infatuation was not unrelieved by a certain amount of self-introspection on my part. I kept account of every farthing I spent, and my expenses were carefully calculated. Every little item such as omnibus fares or postage or a couple of coppers spent on newspapers, would be entered, and the balance struck every evening before going to bed. That habit has stayed with me ever since, and I know that as a result, though I have had to handle public funds amounting to lakhs, I have succeeded in exercising strict economy in their disbursement, and instead of outstanding debts have had invariably a surplus balance in respect of all the movements I have led. 1927-29, M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, translated 1940 by Mahadev Desai, Part I, Chapter xvi
3. (obsolete) A division of land.