letherwite
/ˈlɛðəwʌɪt/Feudal Law. Now rare (historical in later use)
noun
Any of various fines relating to sexual relations and marriage; especially a fine payable by a male serf to his lord for having illicit sexual relations with a female serf; (sometimes) specifically = childwite. Also as a mass noun: such fines collectively.
Origin
Middle English. Apparently ultimately a variant or alteration of lairwite, perhaps based on a misreading of y as þ in forms like leyrewite lairwite (although no forms with þ are attested), or perhaps based on a misreading of ch as th in lecherwite.
- maternofoetal
- mateship
- mates' rates
- Mateus
- matey
- mateyness
- mat-grass
- math
- math coprocessor
- mathe
- mathematical
- mathematical geography
- mathematical induction
- mathematicality
- mathematical linguist
- mathematical linguistics
- mathematical logic
- mathematical logician
- mathematically
- Mathematical Markup Language
- mathematicalness
- mathematical philosophy
- mathematical physics
- mathematical point
- mathematical programming