churchscot

noun

church·​scot
ˈchərchˌskät,
-ə̄ch-,
-əich-
variants or churchshot
-ˌshät
plural -s
: a tribute formerly collected by the clergy for their support or as a due probably originally in the form of a portion of grain

Word History

Etymology

alteration & partial translation of Old English ciricsceat, from cirice church + sceatt payment, treasure; akin to Old High German scaz money, Old Norse skattr, Gothic skatts, Latin scatere to bubble up, Greek skatamizein to jump, Lithuanian skasti

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of churchscot was before the 12th century

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Dictionary Entries Near churchscot

Cite this Entry

“Churchscot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/churchscot. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

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