A term used at Oxford and Cambridge universities for a student's bill or account for food and room charges; also a verb meaning to provide meals.
From Old French 'batel' (transport) and Middle English usage. At universities, it evolved to mean the charges for provisions, particularly college meals.
Oxford students still refer to their college bills as 'battels'—the word has survived for centuries in the university system, making it one of the oldest piece of 'student debt' vocabulary!
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