CORVÉE


Meaning of CORVÉE in English

Unpaid labor that a European vassal owed a lord or that a citizen in later times owed the state, either in addition to or in lieu of taxes.

The corvée was often used when money payment did not provide sufficient labor for public projects, and in wartime it was sometimes used to augment regular troops in auxiliary capacities.

Britannica English dictionary.      Английский словарь Британика.