merchet

M3E1R1C3H4E1T1

noun

In Middle Ages England, a fine paid to a lord on a daughter's marriage, in recompense for the loss of a worker.

OriginWelsh merched →
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nounmerchet (plural merchets)

plural merchets

  1. obsoleteIn Middle Ages England, a fine paid to a lord on a daughter's marriage, in recompense for the loss of a worker.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
merchetum

Origin

  1. Welshmerched
  2. Englishmerchet

From Welsh merched, plural form of merch (“daughter”).

More words from Welsh

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

merchet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/merchet

MLA

“merchet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/merchet. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “merchet,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/merchet.

Source: merchet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.