1. [adj]  deserving or inciting pity; "a hapless victim"; "miserable victims of war"; "the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic"- Galsworthy; "piteous appeals for help"; "pitiable homeless children"; "a pitiful fate"; "couldn't rescue the poor fellow"; "his poor distorted limbs"; "a wretched life"
2. [adj]  yielding little by great labor; "a hardscrabble farm"; "poor soil"
3. [adj]  unsatisfactory; "a poor light for reading"; "poor morale"
4. [adj]  low in degree; "expectations were poor"
5. [adj]  having little money or few possessions; "deplored the gap between rich and poor countries"; "the proverbial poor artist living in a garret"
6. [adj]  badly supplied with desirable qualities or substances; "a poor land"; "the area was poor in timber and coal"; "food poor in nutritive value"
7. [adj]  characterized by or indicating lack of money; "the country had a poor economy"
8. [adj]  not sufficient to meet a need; "an inadequate income"; "a poor salary"; "money is short"; "on short rations"; "food is in short supply"; "short on experience"
9. [adj]  moderate to inferior in quality; "they improved the quality from mediocre to above average"; "he would make a poor spy"

1. \Poor\, a. [Compar. {Poorer} (?; 254); superl. {Poorest}.]
   [OE. poure or povre, OF. povre, F. pauvre, L. pauper; the
   first syllable of which is probably akin to paucus few (see
   {Paucity}, {Few}), and the second to parare to prepare,
   procure. See {Few}, and cf. {Parade}, {Pauper}, {Poverty}.]
   1. Destitute of property; wanting in material riches or
      goods; needy; indigent.
   
   Note: It is often synonymous with indigent and with
         necessitous denoting extreme want. It is also applied
         to persons who are not entirely destitute of property,
         but who are not rich; as, a poor man or woman; poor
         people.
   
   2. (Law) So completely destitute of property as to be
      entitled to maintenance from the public.
   
   3. Hence, in very various applications: Destitute of such
      qualities as are desirable, or might naturally be
      expected; as:
      (a) Wanting in fat, plumpness, or fleshiness; lean;
          emaciated; meager; as, a poor horse, ox, dog, etc.
          ``Seven other kine came up after them, poor and very
          ill-favored and lean-fleshed.'' --Gen. xli. 19.
      (b) Wanting in strength or vigor; feeble; dejected; as,
          poor health; poor spirits. ``His genius . . . poor and
          cowardly.'' --Bacon.
      (c) Of little value or worth; not good; inferior; shabby;
          mean; as, poor clothes; poor lodgings. ``A poor
          vessel.'' --Clarendon.
      (d) Destitute of fertility; exhausted; barren; sterile; --
          said of land; as, poor soil.
      (e) Destitute of beauty, fitness, or merit; as, a poor
          discourse; a poor picture.
      (f) Without prosperous conditions or good results;
          unfavorable; unfortunate; unconformable; as, a poor
          business; the sick man had a poor night.
      (g) Inadequate; insufficient; insignificant; as, a poor
          excuse.
   
                That I have wronged no man will be a poor plea
                or apology at the last day.       --Calamy.
   
   4. Worthy of pity or sympathy; -- used also sometimes as a
      term of endearment, or as an expression of modesty, and
      sometimes as a word of contempt.
   
            And for mine own poor part, Look you, I'll go pray.
                                                  --Shak.
   
            Poor, little, pretty, fluttering thing. --Prior.
   
   5. Free from self-assertion; not proud or arrogant; meek.
      ``Blessed are the poor in spirit.'' --Matt. v. 3.
   
   {Poor law}, a law providing for, or regulating, the relief or
      support of the poor.
   
   {Poor man's treacle} (Bot.), garlic; -- so called because it
      was thought to be an antidote to animal poison. [Eng]
      --Dr. Prior.
   
   {Poor man's weatherglass} (Bot.), the red-flowered pimpernel
      ({Anagallis arvensis}), which opens its blossoms only in
      fair weather.
   
   {Poor rate}, an assessment or tax, as in an English parish,
      for the relief or support of the poor.
   
   {Poor soldier} (Zo["o]l.), the friar bird.
   
   {The poor}, those who are destitute of property; the
      indigent; the needy. In a legal sense, those who depend on
      charity or maintenance by the public. ``I have observed
      the more public provisions are made for the poor, the less
      they provide for themselves.'' --Franklin.
   
   

2. \Poor\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
   A small European codfish ({Gadus minutus}); -- called also
   {power cod}.
   
   

The Mosaic legislation regarding the poor is specially important. (1.) They had the right of gleaning the fields (Lev. 19:9, 10; Deut. 24:19,21).

(2.) In the sabbatical year they were to have their share of the produce of the fields and the vineyards (Ex. 23:11; Lev. 25:6).

(3.) In the year of jubilee they recovered their property (Lev. 25:25-30).

(4.) Usury was forbidden, and the pledged raiment was to be returned before the sun went down (Ex. 22:25-27; Deut. 24:10-13). The rich were to be generous to the poor (Deut. 15:7-11).

(5.) In the sabbatical and jubilee years the bond-servant was to go free (Deut. 15:12-15; Lev. 25:39-42, 47-54).

(6.) Certain portions from the tithes were assigned to the poor (Deut. 14:28, 29; 26:12, 13).

(7.) They shared in the feasts (Deut. 16:11, 14; Neh. 8:10).

(8.) Wages were to be paid at the close of each day (Lev. 19:13).

In the New Testament (Luke 3:11; 14:13; Acts 6:1; Gal. 2:10; James 2:15, 16) we have similar injunctions given with reference to the poor. Begging was not common under the Old Testament, while it was so in the New Testament times (Luke 16:20, 21, etc.). But begging in the case of those who are able to work is forbidden, and all such are enjoined to "work with their own hands" as a Christian duty (1 Thess. 4:11; 2 Thess. 3:7-13; Eph. 4:28). This word is used figuratively in Matt. 5:3; Luke 6:20; 2 Cor. 8:9; Rev. 3:17.