AMERCE, verb transitive amers'. [A verb formed from a for on or at, from Latin merces, reward.]
1. To inflict a penalty at mercy; to punish by a pecuniary penalty, the amount of which is not fixed by law, but left to the discretion or mercy of the court; as, the court amerced the criminal in the sum of one hundred dollars.
2. To inflict a pecuniary penalty; to punish in general. Milton uses of after amerce; 'Millions of spirits amerced of heaven; ' but this use seems to be a poetic license.
First occurrence in the Bible(KJV): Deuteronomy 22:19 And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.
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