scutage

[ skyoo-tij ]

noun

(in the feudal system) a payment exacted by a lord in lieu of military service due to him by the holder of a fee.

Origin of scutage

First recorded in1425–75; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word scūtāgium.See scutum, -age

Words Nearby scutage

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use scutage in a sentence

In the Hundred Rolls for Oxfordshire there is frequent reference to the payment of the tax called scutage.
The English Village Community | Frederic Seebohm
A new scutage, the "scutage of Bedford," was imposed on the realm.
The History of England | T.F. Tout
Pershore paid on three in the first scutage, protesting that it was only liable to two, and from 1168 it was only rated at two.
Feudal England -- Historical Studies On The Eleventh And Twelfth Centuries | J.H. Round
Before taking leave of 'the great scutage', another point demands notice.
Feudal England -- Historical Studies On The Eleventh And Twelfth Centuries | J.H. Round
The true explanation is probably to be found in the fact that only a portion of the tax was raised by way of scutage.
Feudal England -- Historical Studies On The Eleventh And Twelfth Centuries | J.H. Round

British Dictionary definitions for scutage

scutage

/ (ˈskjuːtɪdʒ) /

noun

(in feudal society) a payment sometimes exacted by a lord from his vassal in lieu of military service

Origin of scutage

C15: from Medieval Latin scūtāgium, literally: shield dues, from Latin scūtum a shield

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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