wadsetter en · NOUN
Etymology
From wadset + -er.
Meanings
-
(Scotland) A person who holds tenure by wadset.
The wadsetter was frequently a younger brother or near relative of the chief of the clan, who had made money abroad, or in some calling at home. He lent money to the chief, and in return he was secured by deed in the annual rents of certain specified lands.
1899, Hew Morrison, “The Life of Rob Donn,”, in Songs and Poems in the Gaelic Language by Rob Donn, Edinburgh: John Grant, page xiv:“[…] he had land and living, kept himself close from wadsetters and money-lenders, paid each man his due, and lived on his own.”
1819, Walter Scott, chapter 6, in The Bride of Lammermoor:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| wadsetters | Number=Plur | lexicographic |