halfpennyworth

9.9

A very small amount of something you can buy for half a penny

noun
/ˈhælfˌpɛnɪwɜrθ/

Archaic

: poca cantidad

She received nothing but a halfpennyworth of sense from his advice.

Examples

He bought a halfpennyworth of sweets from the village shop.
A halfpennyworth of milk was enough for his morning tea.
I bought a halfpennyworth of candy.
What can you get for a halfpennyworth?
He only has a halfpennyworth of patience left before he loses his temper.
You won't get much for a halfpennyworth of that candy; it's only a tiny piece.
She offered me a halfpennyworth of advice, but it wasn't very helpful.

Synonyms

farthing

vshalfpennyworth

Archaic

5 9.9

A British coin from the past worth a quarter of a penny, also meaning a very small amount

is a larger small amount, representing about twice that value

tuppence

vshalfpennyworth

Archaic

5 9.9

An old British coin worth two pennies or a very small amount of money

is about half that size, indicating a notably smaller amount

pennyworth

vshalfpennyworth

Archaic

4 9.9

A small amount of something you can buy for one penny

is half that size, meaning a smaller tiny quantity

ha'p'orth

vshalfpennyworth

Archaic

9.9

A very small amount, like a little food or money

is the variant spelling and pronunciation of the same small amount

stuiver

vshalfpennyworth

Archaic

9.9

A very small amount of money that shows little value

is a coin based amount rather than general metaphorical smallness

Yankee dime

vshalfpennyworth

Informal

9.9

A very small amount of money or a small favor given as a token

is a literal coin value phrase rather than a joking token

How Much

little

1 1.0

halfpennyworth

Archaic

9.9

bit

∞ 1.0

trace

492 3.3

Surface Forms

halfpennyworth singular

halfpennyworths plural

Morphology

halfpennyworth = halfpenny + worth (transparent) = halfpenny + worth

Formed by combining 'halfpenny' and 'worth' to indicate an amount equivalent to a halfpenny; the meaning follows directly from the components.

Etymology

Halfpennyworth is made from half, penny, and worth, meaning 'the value of half a penny'. It originally named something small you could buy for a halfpenny, and so it now means a very small amount.