u, f., also almusa, Hom. passim; [A. S. ælmesse; Engl. alms; Germ. almosen; Dan. almisse; all from Gr. ἐλεημοσύνη]:—an alms, charity, Hom., Stj., K. Á., Bs.; of any charity, thus in the Icel. grammar-school, the allowances are still called ölmusa; ölmusu moli, Stj. 157; ölmusu-gjarn, ölmusu-góðr, charitable, Greg. 75, Bs. i. 332, 356: compds, ölmusu-gæði, charitableness, Hom., Bs.: ölmusu-görð, -gjöf, -gipt, alms-giving, Greg. 75, Grág. i. 163, Blas. 51, Stj., K. Á. 74, D. N. ii. 16: ölmusu-barn, an ‘alms-bairn,’ pauper child, Karl. 400: ölmusu-prestr, a priest pensioned off, ‘emeritus,’ Ám. 100: ölmusu-maðr, an almsman, bedesman, Ó. H., K. Á. 78: metaph. of an imbecile person; nenni ek víst eigi at ölmusur sparki í andlit mér, Fs. 31; ölmusur at vexti ok fráleik, 41; gefa mun enn ölmusu-lagi til Húsafells, i. e. even a bedesman would start in such weather as this, Bjarn. 54.