farthing

noun far·thing \ ˈfär-t͟hiŋ \

|Updated on: 6 Jul 2018

Definition of farthing

1 a : a former British monetary unit equal to ¹/₄ of a penny

b : a coin representing this unit

2 : something of small value : mite

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Recent Examples of farthing from the Web

Ron Schroer's Boneshaker Bigwheel superficially resembles the kind of old-timey bicycle called penny-farthing, but don't be fooled: the all-wood machine actually crawls on a set of legs on the back.

— john wenz, Popular Mechanics, "This Weird Wooden Bike Has Back Legs That Walk," 30 Mar. 2015
Women raced the ungainly high-wheel penny-farthings throughout the 1880s, but the advent of the safety bicycle, with its equal-sized wheels, chain drive, improved braking, and lower cost, made the sport more accessible.

— kate siber, Outside Online, "This Seamstress Conquered Bike Racing in the 1890s," 31 May 2018
Also on display are several penny-farthing bikes, which were invented in 1869 and had tall front wheels.

— brian e. clark, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Space and bikes? They go together at this Sparta museum," 2 Mar. 2018
But this was the age of the penny-farthing and the Flying Yankee Velocipede: no potential cycling innovation could go undiscovered.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "People in the 1800s Dreamed of Bicycling on Water," 5 Oct. 2017
New claims will arise; women will demand the vote; lads from 12 to 21 will think their rights not enough attended to; and every man who has not a farthing, will demand an equal voice with any other, in all acts of state.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "Artifacts Show the Sometimes-Violent Nature of American Democracy," 19 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'farthing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.