levy

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
levy /ˈlɛvi/

▶noun (pl. levies)

• 1 the imposition of a tax, fee, fine, or subscription.

  ■ a sum of money raised by levying.

• 2 an item or items of property seized to satisfy a legal judgement.

• 3 archaic a body of enlisted troops.

▶verb (levies, levying, levied)

• 1 impose or seize as a levy.

• 2 archaic enlist for military service.

• 3 archaic begin to wage (war).

– derivatives
leviable adjective.

– origin ME: from OFr. levee, fem. past part. of lever ‘raise’, from L. levare, from levis ‘light’.