From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmitemite /maɪt/ noun [countable] 1 HBIa very small creature that lives in plants, carpets etc2 SSC spoken a small child, especially one that you feel sorry for Poor mite! You must be starving!3 → a mite4 → a mite of something
Examples from the Corpus
mite• Some teachers take everything a mite too serious.• With all respect to my old friend, I believe my aims and basic purposes may have gone a mite deeper.• On the other hand, aphids can infect raspberries with incurable virus diseases, and blackcurrant reversion is spread by big-bud mites.• The dust mite, which thrives in warm, moist air, is the greatest source of allergens for asthmatics.• Then she trailed her fingers through the flour, parting, separating small hills and ridges of it, looking for mites.• The little mite had objected strongly.• Spraying with water is particularly effective for discouraging red spider mite, which flourishes in dry conditions.• When an ant comes near it, the mite will strum vigorously with its long front legs.Origin mite Old English 