amercement
A non-statutory monetary penalty or forfeiture, usually applied at the discretion of a court.
countable, uncountable
29 March. The quhilk daye Thomas Garnes is fund in þe wrang and amerchiament of court, for þe violent ſchuting and towking of Dauid Fleming, officiar to the Cowparis, on frydaye laſt.
Where it comes from
From Middle English amercement, from Anglo-Norman amercier + -ment, from Old French à merci. Also from Medieval Latin amerciamentum, from amerciari + -amentum, learned Latinization of Anglo-Norman amerciament, amercement, amerciment. Equivalent to amerce + -ment.
Adapted from the Wiktionary entry amercement (CC BY-SA 4.0).