A historical tax or fee paid to a feudal lord, sometimes related to the right to collect honey or use of lands for beekeeping.
From Middle English, likely combining 'drone' (the male bee) with the Old French suffix '-age' (denoting a tax or collection of items). Medieval lords collected various unusual fees, and this appears to be one tied to bee-related income.
Medieval lords taxed literally everything—including bees! Dronage shows how specific feudal fees were, and some historians believe entire beekeeping operations were managed under these tiny but strictly enforced payment obligations.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.