churchscot

English

Alternative forms

• church scot, churchshot

Etymology

From church +‎ scot, and probably also absorbing earlier Middle English chirshet, cherset, chershet ("customary rent paid for the support of the church"; > modern English churchset), from Old English ċiriċsċeatt (“tax or rent paid to the church, church-money, churchscot”), thus also equivalent to church +‎ scat.

Noun

churchscot (countable and uncountable, plural churchscots)

1. (historical) A payment once paid to support the clergy, sometimes in the form of livestock, grain, or other crops.

Related terms

• soulscot