I. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English feoh cattle, property, money; akin to Old High German fihu cattle, Old Norse fē cattle, sheep, money, Gothic faihu money, wealth, Latin pecus cattle, pecunia money, pectere to comb, Greek pekein to comb, pokos fleece, Sanskrit paśu cattle; basic meaning: to fleece, pluck (wool)
obsolete : personal property : goods , livestock , money
II. ˈfē noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French fé, fié, fief, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German fihu cattle
1.
a. : a heritable estate in land held in English feudal law of a superior lord by whom the estate was granted and who retains rights in the land or tenement and acquires rights against the tenant
b. : a feudal benefice or estate in land held of a feudal lord in feudal law ; also : the interest or right of the lord in the land so held
c. : territory held in this way
d. : an estate of inheritance — see fee simple , fee tail
2.
a. obsolete : perquisite ; especially : an allowance especially of food to a cook or of game to a forester
b. obsolete : reward , prize
c. dialect Britain : wages ; especially : those of a servant
d. obsolete : bribe
e. archaic : gratuity , tip
3.
a. : a fixed charge for admission (as to a museum)
b. : a charge fixed by law or by an institution (as a university) for certain privileges or services
a license fee
a toll-road fee
a college-admission fee
research fees
laboratory fees
tuition fees
4.
a. : a charge fixed by law for the services of a public officer
a sheriff's fee
b. : compensation often in the form of a fixed charge for professional service or for special and requested exercise of talent or of skill (as by an artist)
a doctor's fee
a lawyer's retainer fee
teach them this art if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation — Hippocratic Oath
5. dialect Britain : employment as a servant
I come here to seek a fee
Synonyms: see wage
•
- in fee
III. transitive verb
( feed ; feed ; feeing ; fees )
Etymology: Middle English feen to enfeoff, hire, from fee (II)
1. obsolete : bribe
2.
a. chiefly Scotland : hire
fee a servant
b. now dialect Britain : to make use of : employ
fee every occasion — Shakespeare
3. : to reward or pay for usually personal services rendered or to be rendered : give a gratuity to : tip
fee a waiter