Meanings
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1
noun
money, food, clothing, or other aid given to poor people as an act of charity
The monastery distributed alms to families during the winter shortage.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Old English aelmesse, through Late Latin eleemosyna from Ancient Greek eleemosyne, 'pity, mercy, charity,' based on eleemon, 'merciful.' Despite its final s, alms functions in modern English as a mass noun or a plural-form noun.