In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
amerced
simple past tense and past participle of amerce
• creamed, decamer, decream, racemed
Source: Wiktionary
A*merce", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Amerced; p. pr. & vb. n. Amercing.] Etym: [OF. amercier, fr. a merci at the mercy of, liable to a punishment. See Mercy.]
1. To punish by a pecuniary penalty, the amount of which is not fixed by law, but left to the discretion of the court; as, the amerced the criminal in the sum on the hundred dollars.
Note: The penalty of fine may be expressed without a preposition, or it may be introduced by in, with, or of.
2. To punish, in general; to mulct. Millions of spirits for his fault amerced Of Heaven. Milton. Shall by him be amerced with penance due. Spenser.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
26 December 2024
(noun) personal as opposed to real property; any tangible movable property (furniture or domestic animals or a car etc)
In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.