1. To impose a fine or penalty that is not fixed but is left to the court’s discretion; to punish by amercement.
2. To fine or punish in any manner. — amerceable ([schwa]-m[schwa]r-s[ schwa]-b[schwa]l), amerciable ([schwa]-m[schwa]r-see-[schwa]-b[ schwa]l), adj.
“There were two more aspects to this financial scheme of permitting suitors to use the royal courts — for a con-sideration. The practice developed of ‘amercing’ or fining those who were ‘in the mercy of the king’ because they had put forward a false claim, or had made a false defense. In other words the loser of the suit had to pay a fine for his supposedly unjust effort to deny or resist the claim of his opponent.” Charles Herman Kinnane, A First Book on Anglo-American Law 272 (2d ed. 1952).
