%escuage%

n. [ OF. escuage, F. écuage, from OF. escu shield, F. écu. See Esquire. ] (Feud. Law) Service of the shield, a species of knight service by which a tenant was bound to follow his lord to war, at his own charge. It was afterward exchanged for a pecuniary satisfaction. Called also scutage. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]