amercement

 
Pronunciation: /əˈməːsmənt/

noun

English Law, historical
  • a fine: courts continued to impose small amercements [mass noun]: default resulted in heavy amercement

Derivatives

amerce

verb

Origin:

late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French amerciment, based on estre amercie 'be at the mercy of another' (with respect to the amount of a fine), from a merci 'at (the) mercy'