tithe

Literally a "tenth", a medieval form of tax often owed to the liege lord or to the church as rent on land. Sometimes the tithe could be as much as thirty percent, but ten or fifteen was normal. When tithes were collected no other taxes were normally due on the property, and the tithe seems to have been a percent of production, not value.&nbsp

A tenth part of something paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax especially for the support of a religious establishment