The Collaborative International Dictionary
Escuage
Escuage \Es"cu*age\ (?; 48), n. [OF. escuage, F. ['e]cuage, from
OF. escu shield, F. ['e]cu. See Esquire.] (Feud. Law)
Service of the shield, a species of knight service by which a
tenant was bound to follow his lord to war, at his own
charge. It was afterward exchanged for a pecuniary
satisfaction. Called also scutage.
--Blackstone.
Wiktionary
escuage
n. (context historical Middle Ages English) Payment to a lord in lieu of military service.