The royal treasury and financial administration of medieval England, also referring to the court that handled financial disputes. Named after the checkered cloth used for counting money on a table.
From Old French 'eschequier' meaning 'chessboard,' ultimately from Persian 'shah' (king) through Arabic. The term arose because medieval accountants used a checkered tablecloth as a counting board, with coins moved like chess pieces to calculate royal revenues and expenses.
Try Another Word