the farthing

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableBritish

   A former British coin of very low value, equal to one quarter of an old penny, used until 1960.

   Grammar: Countable; usually used with 'the' when referring to the coin in general, or 'a' for one coin.

   Patterns

   • the farthing
   • a farthing
   • not worth a farthing

   In the 19th century, a loaf of bread could cost just a farthing.

   The old man showed us a farthing he had kept from his childhood.

   She said the old vase wasn't worth a farthing, but it turned out to be valuable.

2. 2nounsingularBritishold-fashioned

   A tiny amount of money; used in negative statements to mean 'not at all'.

   Grammar: Always used in negative sentences with 'not' or 'without', and often with 'worth'.

   Patterns

   • not worth a farthing
   • without a farthing

   After the stock market crash, his shares were not worth a farthing.

   She left home without a farthing and built a new life for herself.

Word forms

Common combinations

a brass farthing

He doesn't care a brass farthing about what they think.

not worth a farthing

That old radio is not worth a farthing now.

without a farthing

She died without a farthing to her name.

farthing coin

The museum has a rare farthing coin from 1850.

farthing's worth

He gave me a farthing's worth of sweets.

Synonyms and how they differ

penny

A penny was worth four farthings, so it was a larger unit; 'penny' is still used today for the current British coin.

cent

A cent is a small unit of currency in many countries, but it is not the same as a farthing and is still in use.

Word family

farthing noun

The coin itself; also used in compounds like 'farthingale' (a hooped skirt), but that is a different word.

Commonly confused: the farthing or farther? the farthing or father?

Practice

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