Meaning

(law, obsolete) An amercement..

Definitions by Sense

1. (law, obsolete) An amercement.
2. (historical) A misericord, a thin-bladed dagger, used in the Middle Ages to give the death wound or mercy stroke to a fallen adversary.
3. An indulgence as to food or dress granted to a member of a religious order.
4. A charitable institution, established by royal foundation and managed by a religious order for providing care to the poor, the sick, prisoners, orphans, etc.
5. One or all of the members of the religious order that operates a misericordia.
6. A song that is sung as part of a service asking for God's mercy.
7. Compassionate mercy.

Example Sentences

It is likely there was some Difference between a Misericordia and an Amerciament. For Example : It was called an Amercement, after it was reduced to a certain Sum; and a Misericordia both before and afterwards.

Neither do I see any reason why such an award of a misericordia by a judge of a court-leet, should express any certain sum for which the party should be in misericordia, except in such cases only where no other person is afterwards to affere it; for in other cases the award of a misericordia is only in order to authorise others to fix the sum which the party is to pay to the king for his default;

In criticizing this Schedule we would first observe how Gervase Paynel of Dudley having compounded for his offences by a Fine of the former year, was not visited by a misericordia of later date.

Near the armchair stood a table; on the table was a crucifix, near it a pitcher of water and a loaf of black bread; in the latter was thrust a misericordia, or that dreadful knife which knights used to despatch the wounded.

The feeble light of the lamp of the Madonna's shrine, most religiously attended to even here, fell upon a dark, cruel face, bearing a fixed and horrible grin, the result of a gash upon the upper lip; he carried openly in one hand a misericordia, his sharp Calabrian knife, in the other a lantern.

And with that he catched Sir Mordred by the throat and as he catched him thus he drew his misericordia to slay him.

He had not counted upon the hidalgo's precaution in placing distance between himself and the doorway and he came now upon Don Juan with a Bilbao swishing and a misericordia clenched in the left hand.

He took care, too, that the misericordia, or superior dishes or dinners, should be partaken of by the whole community, and not, as had been customary, serve only to feast a few.

Word Forms

• misericordias

Related Words

When Should You Use Misericordia?

Use misericordia when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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