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miser
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English
Etymology
From Middle English misser, from Late Latin miser (“wretched, unfortunate, unhappy, miserable, sick, ill, bad, worthless, etc.”).
Pronunciation
Noun
miser (plural misers)
- (derogatory) A person who hoards money rather than spending it; one who is cheap or extremely parsimonious. [late 16th c.]
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:miser
- Antonyms: see Thesaurus:spendthrift
- Scrooge was a typical miser: spending nothing he could save, nor enjoying his wealth.
- 1577, Antonio de Guevara, translated by Edward Hellowes, A Chronicle, Conteyning the Liues of Tenne Emperours of Rome […] , London: Ralph Newbery, page 257:
- […] foꝛ it was many times notoꝛious vnto al mẽ, yͭ he did eate in his houſe no other fleſh by the ſpace of iii. dayes, but on Hare, whiche was ſent him. He was ſuch a miſer to ſpend, ⁊ ſo deſirous to hooꝛd and lay vp money, yͭ had it not béene foꝛ ſome dayes of ſacrifices, oꝛ his bidden gueſts, not a moꝛsel of fleſh was eaten in his houſe: but only fed of his pꝛouiſion from his garden.
- (obsolete) A person who is wretched or despicable; a wretch.
- c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iv], page 206, column 1:
- […] a poore virgin ſir, an il-fauor’d thing ſir, but mine owne, a poore humour of mine ſir, to take that that no man elſe will: rich honeſtie dwels like a miſer ſir, in a poore houſe, as your Pearle in your foule oyſter.
- A kind of earth auger, typically large-bored and often hand-operated.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
skinflint or scrooge
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
See also
Further reading
- “miser”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “miser”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
- “miser”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams
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French
Etymology
Pronunciation
Verb
miser
Conjugation
Conjugation of miser (see also Appendix:French verbs)
Derived terms
Descendants
- → Romanian: miza
Further reading
- “miser”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
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Latin
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