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fee

fee definition

fee (fē)

noun

1. Historical heritable land held from a feudal lord in return for service; fief; feudal benefice
2. Historical the right to hold such land
3. Obsolete payment, service, or homage due a superior
payment asked or given for professional services, admissions, licenses, tuition, etc.; charge
Now Rare a present of money; tip; gratuity
an inheritable estate in real property

Etymology: ME, estate, fief, payment < Anglo-Fr (< OFr feu, fief < Gmc, as in OHG feho, fihu, akin to OE feoh) < IE base *pek- > OE feoh, cattle, property

transitive verb feed, feeing fee′·ing

Now Rare to give a fee, or tip, to

fee Idioms

hold in fee

to own; possess

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.