ˈchərchˌskät, -ə̄ch-, -əich- noun
or church·shot -ˌshät
( -s )
Etymology: alteration & part translation of Old English ciricsceat, from cirice church + sceatt payment, treasure; akin to Old High German scaz money, Old Norse skattr, Gothic skatts, Latin scatere to bubble up, Greek skatamizein to jump, Lithuanian skasti
: a tribute formerly collected by the clergy for their support or as a due prob. originally in the form of a portion of grain