Definition of "mite" []

• Any of various small or minute arachnids of the order Acarina that are often parasitic on animals and plants, infest stored food products, and in some species transmit disease. (noun)
• A very small contribution or amount of money. (noun)
• A widow's mite. (noun)
• A very small object, creature, or particle. (noun)
• A coin of very small value, especially an obsolete British coin worth half a farthing. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "September 1, 2008 at 8:15 am yew mite want to haz a sign up sheet fur us…… den yew cud get teh x-tra credit in skool…..mite be!"
• "This could also help explain why bees infected with IAPV in Australia where the mite is absent do not show as dramatic changes in their behaviour, say scientists."
• "He points out that the varroa mite, which is prevalent in the US, weakens the immune system of bees, perhaps making them susceptible to IAPV."