fee

Etymology

From Middle English fee, fe, feh, feoh, from Old English feoh (“cattle, property, wealth, money, payment, tribute, fee”) with contamination from Old French fieu, fief (from Medieval Latin fevum, a variant of feudum (see feud), from Frankish *fehu (“cattle, livestock”); whence fief), both from Proto-Germanic *fehu (“cattle, sheep, livestock, owndom”), from Proto-Indo-European *péḱu (“livestock”). Cognate with Old High German fihu (“cattle, neat”), Scots fe, fie (“cattle, sheep, livestock, deer, goods, property, wealth, money, wages”), West Frisian fee (“livestock”), Dutch vee (“cattle, livestock”), Low German Veeh (“cattle, livestock, property”), Veh, German Vieh (“cattle, livestock”), Danish fæ (“cattle, beast, dolt”), Swedish fä (“beast, cattle, dolt”), Norwegian fe (“cattle”), Icelandic fé (“livestock, assets, money”), Latin pecū (“cattle”), Sanskrit paśu (“cattle”)..

noun

1. (law, historical) A right to the use of a superior's land as a stipend for certain services to be performed, typically military service.
2. (law, historical) Synonym of fief: the land so held.
3. (law, historical) An inheritable estate in land held of a feudal lord on condition of performance of certain services, typically military service.
4. (law) An inheritable estate in land, whether absolute and without limitation to potential heirs (fee simple) or with limitations to particular kinds of heirs (fee tail).
5. (figurative, obsolete) Synonym of possession.
   Once did she hold the gorgeous East in fee; 1807, William Wordsworth, “On the Extinction of the Venetian Republic”, in Poems in Two Volumes
   1844, The Heritage, by James Russell Lowell What doth the poor man's son inherit? / Stout muscles and a sinewy heart, / A hardy frame, a hardier spirit; / King of two hands, he does his part / In every useful toil and art; / A heritage, it seems to me, / A king might wish to hold in fee.
   Cronshaw had told him that the facts of life mattered nothing to him who by the power of fancy held in fee the twin realms of space and time. 1915, W.S. Maugham, Of Human Bondage, chapter 121
6. (obsolete) Money paid or bestowed; payment; emolument.
7. (obsolete) A prize or reward. Only used in the set phrase "A finder's fee" in Modern English.
8. An additional monetary payment charged for a service or good that is minor compared to the underlying cost.
   Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting. 2013-07-19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 30

verb

1. To reward for services performed, or to be performed; to recompense; to hire or keep in hire; hence, to bribe.
   In vain for Hellebore the patient cries / And fees the doctor; but too late is wise 1693, John Dryden, “The Third Satire of Aulus Persius Flaccus”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis
   We departed the grounds without seeing Marbonna; and previous to vaulting over the picket, feed our pretty guide, after a fashion of our own. 1847, Herman Melville, Omoo
   It was at a much earlier hour than that which Mrs. Santon had named, that Delwood presented himself, and handsomely feeing the porter who answered his summons, he asked to see Miss Santon […] 1859, Ferna Vale, Natalie; or, A Gem Among the Sea-Weeds