church scot
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A tribute paid on St. Martin's pay (November llth) in support of the clergy in Anglo-Saxon times. It was originally paid in corn, but later other goods in kind, or money, were taken.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “church scot” mean?
A tribute paid on St. Martin's pay (November llth) in support of the clergy in Anglo-Saxon times. It was originally paid in corn, but later other goods in kind, or money, were taken.
Is “church scot” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.