First recordedbefore 950;Middle Englishferthing,Old Englishfēorthing;fourth,-ing3 Discover More Example Sentences Visit Eastbourne describes it as "the only cycling event of its kind in the world specifically for penny farthings". FromBBC
Middle English ferthing, from Old English fēorthung (akin to Middle High German vierdunc fourth part), from Old English fēortha fourth First Known Use before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Time Traveler The first known use of farthing was before the 12th century ...
"quarter of a penny; a fourth part," a diminutive derivative of feorða "fourth" (from… See origin and meaning of farthing.
Commonly Misspelled Words How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-) Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway How to Use Accents and Diacritical Marks Popular in Wordplay See All It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat ...
"ineffective," 1887, from penny + farthing, the two together making but a small sum. The… See origin and meaning of pennyfarthing.
Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word? What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'? Popular in Wordplay See All 8 Words with Fascinating Histories 8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments Birds Say the Darndest Things ...