small characters; tiny handwriting
Rare literary term. Literally 'fly's head', used to describe very small writing. Often appears in classical or poetic contexts.
See also: 細字
small profit
Rare term for a meager profit, often used in contrast to larger gains. Compare 小利 (しょうり).
See also: 小利
His letter was written in tiny characters like the head of a fly.
Rather than chasing fly-sized profits, one should look at the big picture.
小利 is a more standard term for small profit, whereas 蠅頭 is a rare, metaphorical expression.
Rare kanji spelling; 蠅 is a non-jōyō character. The variant 蝿頭 is also attested.
Variant spelling using the extended shinjitai form 蝿.
From Chinese 蠅頭／蝇头 (yíngtóu), literally 'fly's head', used metaphorically for something very small. The Japanese reading ようとう is the on'yomi of the characters.