1. A payment or tribute, historically due to a feudal lord upon the death of a tenant or vassal.
Usage: archaic; historical; chiefly British

Examples

• In medieval England, a heriot was often the best animal or piece of property owed to the lord upon a tenant's death.
• The widow was required to pay a heriot to retain her late husband's land.
• Heriots were a common source of revenue for feudal lords during the Middle Ages.
• The manor records documented each heriot collected from the peasantry.
• Payment of a heriot was sometimes negotiable depending on the tenant's status and wealth.