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A fine or penalty, esp. a pecuniary punishment or penalty.

Imposing a pecuniary penalty; consisting of, or paid as, a fine. Fines, or some known mulctuary punishments. Sir W. Temple.

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.

The infliction of a penalty at the discretion of the court; also, a mulct or penalty thus imposed. It differs from a fine,in that the latter is, or was originally, a fixed and certain sum prescribed by statue for an offense; but an amercement is arbitrary. Hence, the act or practice of affeering. [See Affeer.] Blacksto…

A pecuniary mulct or penalty laid upon a delinquent for offending against a ban; as, a mulct paid to a bishop by one guilty of sacrilege or other crimes. Ban of the empire (German Hist.), an imperial interdict by which political rights and privileges, as those of a prince, city, or district, were taken away.…

To ordain as penalty; hence, to mulct or fine. Have I tongue to doom my brother's death Shak.

A mulct or fine imposed on a person for making a fight or quarrel to the disturbance of the peace.

te; especially, a payment of money imposed upon a party as a punishment for an offense; a mulct.

alienated, by a crime, offense, neglect of duty, or breach of contract; hence, a fine; a mulct; a penalty; as, he who murders pays the forfeit of his life. Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal Remit thy other forfeits. Shak.

That which is forfeited; a penalty; a fine or mulct. What should I gain By the exaction of the forfeiture Shak.

To subject to fine or amercement; to mulct; to amerce. [Obs.]

crime, or connected with the commission of a crime; penalty. Chaucer. We will, by way of mulct or pain, lay it upon him. Bacon. Interpose, on pain of my displeasure. Dryden. None shall presume to fly, under pain of death. Addison.

tation, sometimes with life. (b) To give an equivalent for; to bear the expense of; to be mulcted on account of. 'T was I paid for your sleeps; I watched your wakings. Beau. & Fl. -- To pay off. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.] (Naut.) To fall to leeward, as the head of a vessel under sail. -- To pay on. Etym: [Etymol. unce…

A poll tax; a mulct or fine. Johnson.

A portion of money assessed or paid; a tax or contribution; a mulct; a fine; a shot. Scot and lot, formerly, a parish assessment laid on subjects according to their ability. [Eng.] Cowell. Now, a phrase for obligations of every kind regarded collectivelly. Experienced men of the world know very well that it is best to…