scoff
n.a small amount of something, usually food or money. It is a casual way to talk about a tiny bit of something that is not enough to be useful.
n.a small quantity of something, typically food or money. Often used in the plural to indicate a lack of resources or a minimal amount.
“After the long hike, we were so hungry that even a small scoff of food would have been welcome.”
“I scoffed at the frivolity of these theories – their reduction of a marvellous organism to a cinematic villain.”
“Bitter Christmas sneaks in a jab at Netflix when someone suggests Raúl should take his new project there: “Don’t reduce me to making a TV movie!” he scoffs.”
From Middle English scof, skof, probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Old Norse skaup, Old Danish skof, Old Frisian skof (“insult, shame”), and Old High German scoph.
A variant, attested since the mid 19th century, of scaff, of uncertain origin. Compare scarf (“eat quickly”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.