SCU'TAGE, noun [Law L. scutagium, from scutum, a shield.] In English history, a tax or contributiion levied upon those who held lands by knight service; originally, a composition for personal service which the tenant owed to his lord, but afterward levied as an assessment. Blackstone.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI