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a·merce

(ə-mûrs)

tr.v. a·merced, a·merc·ing, a·merc·es
Law

To punish by fine or other penalty.

[Middle English amercen, from Anglo-Norman amercier, from à merci, at the mercy of : à, to (from Latin ad; see AD-) + merci, mercy (from Latin mercēs, wages).]

a·mercea·ble adj.

a·mercement n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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