1. A tax levied in medieval England to pay tribute to Danish invaders or to finance defense against them.
Usage: historical; chiefly British
2. Money paid to an aggressor or threatening party to avoid conflict or harm; appeasement through payment.
Usage: figurative; often used in political or diplomatic contexts

Examples

• King Æthelred the Unready paid danegelt to the Vikings to stop their raids.
• The danegelt was an unpopular tax that drained the royal treasury.
• Some historians argue that paying danegelt only encouraged further Viking invasions.
• The government's decision to negotiate with the rebels was criticized as modern danegelt.
• Paying danegelt to hostile nations rarely brings lasting peace.