Pittance
Pittance [ PIT-ns ] [ noun ] MEANING : 1. a scanty or meagre allowance or remuneration 2. a small monetary sum USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The fact that government employees in this country receive a pittance as salaries is probably the likely cause for corruption in the bureaucracy. USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : The long-suffering shareholders of Northern Rock will likely receive a pittance in compensation in the wake of Chancellor Alistair Darling's announcement yesterday that the beleaguered mortgage lender is to be taken into temporary public ownership.