quit rent
Preserved but no longer current.
A rent formerly paid by a tenant whereby he was released from feudal service. The term is still used of the small annual sum paid by some freeholders and copyholders in lieu of services due from them.
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 “quit rent” mean?
A rent formerly paid by a tenant whereby he was released from feudal service. The term is still used of the small annual sum paid by some freeholders and copyholders in lieu of services due from them.
Is “quit rent” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.