wergild
[ wur-gild, wer- ]
/ ˈwɜr gɪld, ˈwɛr- /
Save This Word!
noun
(in Anglo-Saxon England and other Germanic countries)
money paid to the relatives of a murder victim in compensation for loss and to prevent a blood feud.
the amount of money fixed as compensation for the murder or disablement of a person, computed on the basis of rank.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Also wer·geld [wur-geld, wer-], /ˈwɜr gɛld, ˈwɛr-/, weregild.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for wergild
British Dictionary definitions for wergild
wergild
weregild wergeld (ˈwɜːˌɡɛld, ˈwɛə-)
/ (ˈwɜːˌɡɪld, ˈwɛə-) /
noun
the price set on a man's life in successive Anglo-Saxon and Germanic law codes, to be paid as compensation by his slayer
Word Origin for wergild
Old English wergeld, from wer man (related to Old Norse ver, Latin vir) + gield tribute (related to Gothic gild, Old High German gelt payment); see yield
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