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amerce

a·merce [ ə múrss ] (past and past participle a·merced, present participle a·merc·ing, 3rd person present singular a·merc·es)


transitive verb 
Definition:
 
1. punish with fine: to punish somebody with a fine

2. punish arbitrarily: to punish somebody in an arbitrary way

[14th century. < Anglo-Norman amercier "place at somebody's mercy (as to the amount of a fine)" < Old French a merci "at (your) mercy"]

a·merce·a·ble adjective
a·merce·ment noun
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