1. Plural of danegeld: a tax levied in medieval England to pay tribute to Danish invaders or to maintain a defense against them.
Usage: historical; archaic

Examples

• The Anglo-Saxon kings collected danegelds to appease the Viking raiders.
• Danegelds were among the earliest forms of systematic taxation in England.
• The burden of danegelds fell heavily on the English peasantry during the 10th and 11th centuries.
• Historical records show that danegelds were eventually discontinued after the Norman Conquest.
• Medieval chroniclers documented the collection of danegelds across various English shires.